My Hero!
by Aozame32
Summary: Both had friends they were trying to help, but after he saves her life, will she drop everything to help him instead? Or will she just get in his way? Featuring Yoshimitsu, Kunimitsu, and Ling Xiaoyu- with a slight hint of semi-Xiaomitsu, if you dare.
1. Chapter One: Take My Hand

Disclaimer: Tekken and all related characters are property of Namco.

Author's Note: Finally. I'm back to the wonderful world of writing, and what better way to return than to start back where I left off? If you haven't done so, please take the time to read "The Line Between Love and Hate." It's old and rated M, so you'll have to do a search to find it on this site. While not _entirely_ necessary, reading it will help you better understand the original characters in this story in terms of where they've been and their development. However, if you don't want to deal with that, feel free to dig right in!

Chapter One: Take My Hand

She was running as fast as her legs could carry her, barely glimpsing her reflection on the large glass windows of the high level floor of that tall, corporate cage of a building she was stuck in. The building belonged to the Mishima Zaibatsu, the expansive and powerful conglomerate owned by Heihachi Mishima, who was in constant battle with his notorious son Kazuya and his grandson, Jin Kazama. Thoughts of trying to help the Mishima family had once been floating in her mind, but only a few short moments ago they fled like thieves as soon as she heard those first gunshots fired. The Tekken Force was hot on her trail.

Ling Xiaoyu, the young Chinese fighter, almost slipped on the well-buffed tiled floor as she scrambled around the corner, continuing to flee from the soldiers down the hall. The Tekken Force, Heihachi Mishima's personal army, had been released on orders to capture the intruder.

'How could he know?' Xiaoyu thought to herself as she frantically ran down the long hall, 'How could Heihachi already know about my plans to try to help them?! Why is he trying to get rid of me?' Xiaoyu then froze in her tracks.

"Oh no!" she exclaimed out loud, frustration on her face. She had run right into a dead end, nothing but a mundane office plant on a small table in the corner and a large window staring at her. The view of the dark city night, with its bright fireflies of light and busy noises, seemed to be mocking her. It was almost dawn, Xiaoyu noticed. Would she ever see another sunrise again?

She turned to face the soldiers. Better to face them head on. However, the sight of the group of relentless soldiers, faceless with their helmets and gear, found a way to send a chill up Xiaoyu's spine. She backed up a bit, but continued to stay on the defense, her hands in front of her.

Suddenly, however, the glass behind her shattered and Xiaoyu yelped as she felt a strong arm wrap around her waist.

* * *

Yoshimitsu stood there in silence, looking down at the city below him. Even at this hour, almost before dawn, the city was alive with activity. He could feel it all as if the city was a part of him, and thanks to his cybernetic eyes, he could practically see it all, too.

'How long has it been since you left again?' he thought, staring out into the lights, 'You're in danger and you can't do this on your own…'

This was just a night of many in his search for answers to the questions that began arising months ago, when he last saw Kunimitsu, but this night somehow felt different. He had no idea what would happen, but he could feel his senses heighten with anticipation. Just then, as if on cue, he spotted something in one of the windows of the Mishima building. He took a step forward and focused on that point.

"What?" His low voice buzzed with its metallic resonance, "Is that…?"

It was. He recognized her, from the tournament. Ling Xiaoyu, that young Chinese girl. The one tangled up in that mess with the Mishima Zaibatsu and that troubled young man, Jin Kazama. Yoshimitsu looked on and saw the Tekken Force closing in on her, edging towards her with the confidence of the realization that they had her cornered.

Yoshimitsu hopped up on the ledge of the roof he was currently perched on. Being so integrated with his cybernetic body, the large wings of his complex, beetle-like suit sprung out flawlessly. He didn't waste a moment as he dove down into the warm night air with his bright green laser sword in hand. His wings propelled him through the air and he only slowed down just before impact with the window, checking to make sure Ling Xiaoyu was out of range from any glass shards that might come her way.

Upon the impact of his feet touching the smooth tiled floor, he quickly flung his right arm around the young girl's waist and took a step in front of her, his arm held up for protection. He saw the soldiers raise their weapons and, turning his back to them, he lifted Xiaoyu up with both arms and leaped out of the window, feeling the shots fired by the soldiers bounce harmlessly off his armored back.

"Ahh!" Xiaoyu screamed as she fell through the air in this strange man's arms. It was only then that she had the opportunity to look at him, and as she did, she blinked with surprise and stuttered, "Y-Yoshimitsu?!"

It was just then that Yoshimitsu's feet planted on the tiled floor of a patio on one of the lower levels of the tall building. He set Xiaoyu on her feet and then continued on, past the fancy glass guarding and chic-looking patio furniture. He expected her to follow him to safety, and if she was smart, she'd do it fast.

"H-Hey! Wait!" Xiaoyu called out as she ran after him. Yoshimitsu lifted a foot onto the glass guarding at the other end of the patio and peered out, searching for an escape route. He didn't have much time.

"Please, Miss Ling, cooperate and-" began Yoshimitsu, who was suddenly interrupted by the crashing sound of soldiers in the room behind the glass patio door.

The soldiers charged through the office, and knowing the patio door was bullet proof, they rushed up to the keypad on the wall next to it and punched in the emergency code. The door slid open quickly and as soon as it did, the closest soldier was surprised with a swift kick to the face. Now that they were so close in range, Xiaoyu was through with running.

"You must not know who I am!" mocked Xiaoyu as she swiftly planted kick after kick into the soldiers' arms and chests, knocking their weapons out of their hands and the wind out of their lungs.

Yoshimitsu made one last check outside and, glad that the young girl was a skilled fighter who surely deserved her participation in the previous King of Iron Fist Tournament, he rushed in to her aid. There were only a couple of soldiers left and Yoshimitsu, practically flying to the other side of the room, quickly disposed of them, knocking them unconscious with the hilt of his blade.

"Hurry," began Yoshimitsu, looking over at the young fighter, "We need to get out of here." He ran back outside and, after jumping atop the glass guarding, he turned back and held his hand out to Xiaoyu.

She looked up at him, still trying to piece things together. Why was he here? Was she about to let it end like this, failing to help the Mishima family?

"… But I," Xiaoyu stammered, "I have more to do!" The door swung open across the room and yet another wave of soldiers- the late back up, perhaps- began pouring into the room.

His patience gone, Yoshimitsu lifted her up again and jumped from the patio, soaring down to the roof of a shorter nearby building. He continued on, from roof to roof, until he was clear on the other side of the city. The whole while, Xiaoyu tried her best to hold on, frustrated with how things turned out.

Eventually, Yoshimitsu landed in an alleyway and hopped up onto the low roof of the nearest building- a one-story store of some sort. Xiaoyu looked up at him, wondering what to say. She never thought of herself as a speechless little girl, but it wasn't everyday that she ran into someone like Yoshimitsu- a long-time participant of the ferocious King of Iron Fist Tournaments and leader of the Manji Clan.

Yoshimitsu looked down at Xiaoyu and let out a sigh. The sun was coming up now, making the dark sky turn pink and then a light blue. He was tired.

"What exactly were you doing there? Don't you know where you were?" His voice didn't sound patronizing, but inquisitive. Xiaoyu, on the other hand, didn't see it that way.

"Jin Kazama is my friend," she began, "I know he's a member of the Mishima family, but there's good in him and I can help him!" She looked up at Yoshimitsu, trying to resist the urge to look away from that skeletal mask with its glowing green eyes.

"Miss Ling Xiaoyu, Jin Kazama may have good in him, but his connection with Heihachi and Kazuya cannot be broken so easily. His hatred for them binds them all together and, no doubt, will eventually lead him down a path he can't escape from."

"That can't be true," strongly stated Xiaoyu, "I can show Jin that defeating them isn't the only solution! I can help!"

Yoshimitsu continued to look down at the young girl. She couldn't be any older than 18 or 19. She was young, with her spunk and pigtails and modern attire, and he could tell that she was naïve to the whole picture.

"Miss Ling, please listen. The Mishima family has a very long history full of deep hatred that began well before you were born." Yoshimitsu then began to tell Xiaoyu of how this whole thing started. Heihachi and his grueling expectations of his son, Kazuya. The cliff and the overwhelming challenge it presented. Kazuya's eventual success in overthrowing his father and then Heihachi's return for revenge. Jun Kazama and then Jin. Everything.

At the end of it all, Xiaoyu felt her heart grow heavy. She was in way over her head. However, she looked up at Yoshimitsu, and he could see in her eyes that she had not given up just yet. He sighed, knowing that she would continue on, but that couldn't be helped. That would be something to go on into the future, and there wasn't anything he could do but wait. As for the current situation, however…

"We may have lost the Tekken Force, but we're not quite safe yet. They have a far reach, even out here." He couldn't leave her here, and so Yoshimitsu leaned down and stretched a gloved hand out to her. Now wasn't the time to just lift her up and take off against her will, and he needed to know she could trust his judgement.

"Huh?" Xiaoyu knew he was right about the danger, and despite his terrifying appearance, she knew he was trustable. At least she hoped.

"Take my hand," said Yoshimitsu, as he continued to reach down.

Xiaoyu thought for a second and smiled faintly. There was no going back. She'd help Jin someday, that was for sure, but right now that would have to wait. Going with Yoshimitsu could be a risk, but sometimes risks can be fun. She reached up and grasped Yoshimitsu's hand, and before she knew it, she was in his arms and they were off into the sky, heading far away from the city, towards the rising sun.

* * *

Author's Note: So there it is, the first chapter of my first fanfic after about a year and a half hiatus. Sorry to the hopefuls out there, but this story won't center on Xiaoyu trying to help Jin. Since I've only ever written about Yoshimitsu- as if that alone wasn't hard enough- writing about Xiaoyu is going to be a challenge in itself, so trying to encompass the whole Mishima thing would just be too much. I've just wanted to write a sequel to my last piece for a long time now, and I've always been fascinated by the friendship between Yoshimitsu and Xiaoyu, so I thought this would be fun to tackle. Anyway, any reviews would be welcome. Feel free to make comments or constructive criticism, if you like. Thanks!


	2. Chapter Two: Until Then

Author's Note: I'll try to be different about how efficiently I post this fanfic as opposed to my last one. "The Line Between Love and Hate," while not extremely long, had a handful of lengthy chapters which I updated over the course of a couple years, at least. With "My Hero," I'll try to make the chapters shorter, more numerous, and update them more frequently. It might make it an easier read and increase its shelf life, so to speak. Anyway, here's Chapter Two. Enjoy!

Chapter Two- Until Then

The sun was shining, now, sending rays of light that reflected off of Yoshimitsu's sleek beetle suit. He held onto Xiaoyu securely as the two put as much distance from themselves and the center of the city as they could, in hopes of outpacing the Tekken Force.

"It doesn't look like they're going to try to chase us down!" Xiaoyu shouted over the roaring sound of their flight through the air, "I think we would have seen them by now!"

"We shouldn't take our chances," replied Yoshimitsu as he continued to push forward, trying to fight off the fatigue that was beginning to rear its ugly head. His lack of sleep combined with this constant flying wasn't a good combination.

"What?!" asked Xiaoyu, unable to hear his low mechanized voice over the shrill wind.

"I said we shouldn't take our chances!" shouted Yoshimitsu. He sighed heavily as he began to slow down. He was growing too tired for this, and they seemed to finally be at a safe distance. They were on the outskirts of the city, nothing but a few telecommunications and insurance buildings scattered amongst the highways and trees. He hovered a bit until the two were gently lowered onto the ground, his wings snapping back into place.

Xiaoyu, happy to be on solid ground, hopped down onto her own two feet and quickly turned to face Yoshimitsu.

"Um… Thank you, Yoshimitsu. I was in a tight spot back there," she began, "But… I can't help but wonder… Why were you there? It'd be a total coincidence if you just happened to be strolling by, you know?"

Yoshimitsu thought for a moment. He should probably just keep an eye on her and then take her back to her residence once things settled down. Best not to get too involved.

"I was just looking into something. Nothing, really."

Yoshimitsu thought about his current problem. The last time he saw Kunimitsu, which had been the very beginning of last winter, the two had finally resolved what was between them and he had watched her disappear into the city in search of a new life. It was only too soon after that, though, that Yoshimitsu got word that a syndicate was after Kunimitsu. Apparently, she had racked up quite a bill in her pursuit of Yoshimitsu's life, and the syndicate her funded her was expecting payment. Kunimitsu had planned to pay them back easily after gaining control of the Manji Clan, but she obviously couldn't do that now. Yoshimitsu was determined to find out about this syndicate and help his old friend. They had come too far for her life to be ended by petty thugs. Remembering Xiaoyu, he continued, "You're lucky I happened to spot you, but please don't mention it anymore, Miss Ling."

"Oh, you can call me Xiao," she chuckled, "No one ever calls me Miss Ling." She then began to straighten out her jacket, contemplating whether she should take Yoshimitsu's answer for what it was and just drop it there. No doubt her curiosity was pushing her to continue to probe the subject.

"Very well, Miss Xiaoyu," replied Yoshimitsu, not about to get too buddy-buddy with the younger fighter, "I think it best that we wait it out a bit and then I'll return you back to your home."

"I have an apartment close by my school, the Mishima university," informed Xiaoyu, who then began to explain more about her life.

'The Mishima university?' thought Yoshimitsu, 'Perhaps that would prove to be useful later on…'

"… and the zoo is close by, so it's only a short bus ride to my part-time job. I'm a panda caretaker, you know. It's important to help preserve…"

'Yes, it can't hold a candle to the resources of the Mishima headquarters itself, but it should do fine for gathering more information.' Yoshimitsu crossed his arms as he thought it over some more.

"… the noise pollution isn't a problem, either, and the neighborhood is pretty clean. What about where you live?" asked Xiaoyu, testing the waters a bit. She wanted to show him that she wasn't intimidated by his demeanor or reputation.

"…" Yoshimitsu continued in deep thought.

"Umm, excuse me, Yoshimitsu?" Xiaoyu took a closer look, finding it difficult to read him without being able to see his face. As she gazed at him, she discovered small characteristics she hadn't seen before. She could see the gold-colored metal that lined the jaw bone of his skeletal mask, and she could see the black skin-tight suit that came up to his neck, leaving just enough so that she could catch a glimpse of human skin- his throat and the corners of his jaw bone, right below his ears.

He looked over at her then, seeming to come to life.

"Oh, pardon me, I was just thinking… Before we part ways, once I take you back to your apartment that is, would you mind…? Oh, never mind." Doubt poked him like an imp, "It wouldn't interest you, really."

"Well, give it a try," encouraged Xiaoyu, her interest piqued by the idea of being able to show her gratitude by helping him in some way, as long as it was reasonable, of course.

"Well, I've been trying to help someone as well. An old friend. She's in danger, and I need to find out more about the people who are after her."

'This sounds heavy,' thought Xiaoyu, not entirely sure if she wanted to get mixed up into something like this. As if meddling with the Mishima family wasn't enough.

"I understand if you decline. I could very well break into Mishima headquarters, but that won't be easy for a while now, after what just happened."

"Well…" Xiaoyu couldn't help but admit to the fact that this was kind of fun. The notorious Yoshimitsu was asking for her help, and so she felt the urge to drag this lifetime opportunity out a little, "Maybe…" Yoshimitsu could see what she was doing and he furrowed his eyebrows under his mask.

"It really isn't something you even need to consider, actually," he stated, "It would just be more convenient for me, but I can manage without it." He then turned and took a step as if he was going somewhere, partly to see her reaction and partly to prepare to take her back into the city.

"Wait!" spurt out Xiaoyu, "The day after tomorrow is our day off! That would be the perfect time to get in there when no one's around and use the computer database." Internally, she felt the sting of defeat, her fun being brought to a halt by this strange man.

"Fantastic," replied Yoshimitsu, as his wings opened once again, "It may be a bit early, but I think it'll be fine for us to head back now. The trip back with take a little longer, anyway."

"We're flying back?" asked Xiaoyu, not so eager to be back up into the open air. She casually grazed the forest ground with one of her sneakers, hoping to stall him a little.

"It is the fastest way, Miss Xiaoyu-"

"Xiao."

"-and besides, you don't even have to put much effort into it. I'm the one doing all the flying." Just then, Yoshimitsu finally began to notice subtle changes about him. Almost a year ago, with the ordeal that he and the Manji Clan had gone through, he was left feeling stressed and rigid with the seriousness of the predicament. But now that things had worked out, and now that he was on this new mission of his, his soul felt lighter. His grave visage was replaced with a more refreshing, youthful disposition. He failed to consider, however, that it could be the influence of the new company he was keeping.

"Okay, okay," admitted Xiaoyu, feeling more and more comfortable with her mysterious companion, "Let's get going then. I'm starving!"

Wishing she hadn't have mentioned food, which awoke his hungry stomach, Yoshimitsu lifted Xiaoyu up once again and took off into the sky. After the lengthy trip, they neared the city and, with Xiaoyu pointing the way, they made it back to her apartment, which was nestled in a peaceful neighborhood full of college buildings and dormitories that were a little less appealing than the apartment building they now stood in front of. Of course, people in the area took notice to the strange sight, but the two were soon through the glass front door and into the elevator before anyone could bother them.

They stood there quietly, absent of even elevator music. Xiaoyu suddenly felt the strangeness of the situation as she glanced over at Yoshimitsu. He looked entirely out of place in the small elevator, with its beige interior and it's plain, carpeted floor.

Yoshimitsu hardly had time to notice, though, his mind racing with the tasks at hand. There was always so much on his mind, including the progress of the Manji Clan's philanthropic endeavors, the final stage of development of the Manji Clan Orbiting Base, his current search for answers, and, more pressing at the moment, how he planned on getting information from the Mishima University database.

The elevator chimed as they reached the 32nd floor. Xiaoyu led the way as they walked down the plain hallway, hoping that no one would feel the need to step outside. As she neared her door- Number 3256, Yoshimitsu noted- Xiaoyu pulled out her card key and, with a swipe, unlocked the door to her small home.

The interior was typical of a young woman her age, with plenty of electronic entertainment available in the small living room, including a stereo system and a TV. A counter top separated the living room from the small kitchen, which contained nothing outside of the ordinary cooking utensils and modest fridge.

Yoshimitsu felt it best to stand by the door, not wanting to intrude. He did look around a bit, however, noticing that although the apartment was tidy overall, there were the occasional magazines and snack wrappers strewn about.

"Don't mind the mess," began Xiaoyu, as she strode into the kitchen, opening up the fridge. "Please, make yourself at home. You must be thirsty after this morning. What would you like?" She reemerged from the fridge, holding small juice boxes and bottled water.

"I'm quite alright, thank you," replied Yoshimitsu, still standing at the door. The apartment, while not entirely tiny, felt small to him, even while wearing a sleeker suit, as opposed to his bulkier suits of armor. It was the bright sword that was cumbersome, really, and he wasn't sure what to do with it.

"Oh, come on, Yoshimitsu. You really don't need to worry. I'd say we're practically friends, now, after you saved me. And besides, I'm going to help you get your info, remember?" Xiaoyu walked into the living room and plopped down on the couch, turning on the TV.

'Friends, huh?' thought Yoshimitsu. He looked over at the TV screen with all its colors and sounds and was reminded of just how long it had been since he had the time for things like that.

'Well, why not?' he thought, as he walked forward and took a seat in the chair off to the side.

'Progress!' thought Xiaoyu, who was becoming more and more thrilled by the minute. She played with the idea of telling her friends in class tomorrow about her new friendship with Yoshimitsu. They knew she had participated in the previous tournament, but they probably wouldn't believe her if she told them about this.

As she sipped on the juice box, she looked over at Yoshimitsu and was a bit surprised. He had his foot resting on his other knee and he had his elbow propped up on the arm of the chair, supporting his chin as he watched the TV attentively. She couldn't really imagine someone like him being so interested in a silly game show.

"I didn't know you liked TV," she said, which cause Yoshimitsu to sit up a little and look over at her.

"Oh, well, yes, I like watching it occasionally. I used to watch TV and do other things like that more before I became so busy with our latest project-" Yoshimitsu caught himself there, abhorred by his own carelessness.

"Project? What kind of project?" The TV could wait. This was much more interesting now.

"I'm sorry, but… I'm not at liberty to talk about it." Yoshimitsu straightened up and, to occupy himself, he snatched up the juice box that Xiaoyu had left for him on the nearby side table and, after quickly fumbling with the straw, managed to slip it under his mask and began sipping the juice a little too intently. Xiaoyu chuckled at this.

"That's alright. You don't have to talk about it now, but I expect you to spill the beans sooner or later." Xiaoyu then decided now was a perfect time to take a chance and really badger him, "Say, how about we hang out downtown after getting the super-secret intel from the university?" Yoshimitsu, who had gone back to staring at the TV, nodded blankly.

"Sure." He then nearly choked on the juice at realizing yet another blunder.

"Great! It's a deal!" declared Xiaoyu, not giving him time to protest. Yoshimitsu stood quickly, determined to escape before he made another slip.

"Yes, well, thank you for the juice, Miss Xiaoyu. I better be on my way now. Try to stay out of trouble." He discarded the empty juice box into the waste bin on his way to the window, figuring it would be easier to exit there rather than risk being bothered by onlookers on his way down to the building's entrance. Xiaoyu, confused at first, stood up from her seat on the couch.

"Thanks again!" she blurted, just as Yoshimitsu slid opened the wide window, "So, I guess I'll see you the day after tomorrow. It'll be Friday, right? So, umm, maybe around sunset?" Yoshimitsu looked back at her and nodded.

"Until then," he bid farewell, his low voice sounding concrete and resolute. Then, in one leap, he was outside and off into the high noon sky.

Xiaoyu sat back down, going over everything in her mind.

'What have I done?' she asked herself, growing nervous at the awareness of her actions. There was nothing she could do about it now, she knew, and so she turned off the TV with a click of the remote and retired to her bedroom to prepare for the days ahead.

* * *

Author's Note: I would normally have included more into this chapter, but as I mentioned earlier, I'm trying to make the chapters more reader-friendly. So, I'll do my best to get the next chapter posted as early as my schedule allows. And again, any reviews are greatly appreciated.


	3. Chapter Three: It's a Date Then

Author's Note: I think I should probably mention now that the final rating of this story, as well as the genre, are still up in the air. I have a destination in mind, but as far as how I'll get there and how the trip will be along the way, I'm lost. So, expect changes and, if you don't see this story on the Tekken page, it's probably been changed to an M rating. Also, forgive me, but I failed to keep this chapter as short as the previous ones. I just couldn't see how it could be split up without taking away from the moment, so it's a bit lengthy. Just a heads up. ^_~

Chapter Three: It's a Date Then

"Okay, right there's good!" shouted Kawamitsu, as he was guiding the driver of the supply truck into the loading bay. The shipments of supplies to the Manji Clan Complex were growing few and far in between, so it was important to make these available as soon as possible.

Kawamitsu, Yoshimitsu's right-hand-man, then opened the back of the cargo truck and, clipboard in hand, began filing the supplies into the lacking inventory. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other as he made the calculations. The throwing knives that adorned his dark ninja garb shone in the sun as he continued to record the sparse supplies. Giving a heavy sigh, he reached for the black scarf around his neck and used the end to wipe up the few beads of sweat that began to collect on his forehead after working all morning. Just then, he saw Yoshimitsu making his way from the entrance of the complex to the central headquarters, commonly referred to as the Main Building.

"Master!" called out Kawamitsu, who set the clipboard down on a nearby crate and began to make his way towards Yoshimitsu, "How did things turn out?"

Being back at the Manji Clan Complex, which was constantly full of sick and hungry refugees, Yoshimitsu's mood had sunk a little and his voice grew grave.

"My venture into the city did not fare very well at all. I've failed to make progress with my search for the group that is after Kunimitsu. I…" he held his hands to his helmet, "I don't even know if Kunimitsu is still alive."

"I remember Kunimitsu when she was here last year, and if there's one thing I've learned, it's that she's one tough woman," reassured Kawamitsu, "I'm sure she'll turn up, and not in enemy hands."

"I hope you're right," added Yoshimitsu, as he began to walk up the wide steps of the Main Building- the building where all of the clan members and he resided. Kawamitsu returned to his place at the truck and, with the help of other nearby clan members, began hauling the supplies to the storage facility.

Yoshimitsu entered through the heavy wooden doors of the Main Building and walked through the spacious room that served as a sort of lobby, with low furniture lining the edges of the room. His armored feet make metallic patting sounds as he walked across the smooth wooden floor. He continued on down hallway after hallway until he reached his own quarters. Once inside, he sat down on a tatami mat and began to meditate. To help with concentration, he began chanting prayers as softly as his altered voice would allow. After about an hour of this, he opened his eyes and started to gather his thoughts.

'Who else knew about Kunimitsu being in this city? I should have been more inquisitive. I should have established who her contacts were.' Yoshimitsu could feel a pressing thought in his mind, as if he was forgetting something very important.

When he last saw Kunimitsu, he had been 'damaged' by a sniper who had shot him with a very technologically advanced dart. That dart had been able to penetrate his human skin and connect to his integrated computer system, and when it did, it had unleashed a horrible virus that shut him down as if he was nothing more than a flimsy laptop. Thinking about it made his insides shudder, bothered at the thought of someone having that much power over him.

But, luckily, Kunimitsu showed him mercy and took him to a friend of hers. He was a young man who lived in the city, Yoshimitsu knew, and he was incredibly skillful for his age. He managed to connect Yoshimitsu with his own computer and eradicate the virus. Yoshimitsu could remember that much, but he couldn't quite remember the name of the man. He had been back to that young man's apartment building a few times to try to find him, but he had moved and no one around knew where to. Hopefully he was still in the city, because right now, he was Yoshimitsu's only chance of finding Kunimitsu.

Yoshimitsu suddenly sensed someone nearing the door to his room, and unsurprisingly, there was a soft knocking sound on the door's wooden frame.

"Enter," granted Yoshimitsu, who stood from his seat on the mat.

A young woman who had a tendency towards physical beauty, and piercing eyes to go with it, then entered Yoshimitsu's room. She was dressed very similar to Kawamitsu, only she wore metal gauntlets that she used for both defense and a means for attacking. Her long dark hair, which was normally tied back, now flowed over her shoulders and down her back like black silk.

"Good afternoon, Master," greeted the young kunoichi, as she bowed with natural grace, "It's nice to see you back in one piece." She winked at him as she rose, smiling.

"It's very good to see you too, Hiyamitsu. How are things?" asked Yoshimitsu, motioning to her right leg.

"Oh, this?" she asked, patting her thigh, "It's doing much better. I was able to have Dr. Bosconovich fine-tune it, so now it's working even smoother than before."

Yoshimitsu was glad to hear it. Hiyamitsu had lost her leg in a fierce battle against the Black Pheasant Syndicate, who had once tried to kill Yoshimitsu and destroy the Manji Clan. With Kunimitsu's help, they were able to stop them, but that didn't prevent losses on both sides.

"You've gotten back up to speed, then?" asked Yoshimitsu. He then stepped out of his room- with Hiyamitsu following him closely- and began to head towards the back entrance of the Main Building, which led to the Manji Clan training grounds.

"Yes, everything's fine now. Even still, I don't think I can keep training Harper all by myself. I know you're busy, Master, but if you could take the time to instruct the boy yourself, he would improve tremendously." She was, of course, referring to the newest Manji ninja who had shown his dedication during the struggle with the Black Pheasants. The young man was a foreigner, but he was now just as much a part of the Manji Clan as Kawamitsu or Hiyamitsu.

"We're only as strong as our weakest link," began Yoshimitsu, making small bows to a few ninja who he passed by in the halls, "So I will take charge of his lessons for the rest of this week. Give yourself a break, understood? Go spend some time with Kawamitsu. I'm sure he misses your company."

'Yes!' thought Hiyamitsu triumphantly.

"Thank you very much, Master!" she bowed and darted off to find Kawamitsu, hoping his work shift was almost done.

Eventually, Yoshimitsu made his way to the training grounds and saw Harper standing in the middle clearing, going through a chain of balance-enhancing techniques. His blond, messy hair seemed to contrast with his traditional ninja clothing, and it made his blue eyes gleam like ice.

"Very good," stated Yoshimitsu, who surprised Harper enough to make him wobble a bit as he balanced with one foot off the ground.

"Master! I didn't see you there," Harper stood straight and bowed, "How are you today?"

"Fine, thank you. And how, may I ask, are you doing?" asked Yoshimitsu, looking over Harper carefully.

"Me? I'm doing great," replied Harper, a hint of fake cheer in his voice, "It's just that… I've been spending a lot of time training, as I'm sure you already know, but… Master, when am I going to be assigned to a mission? I've gotten a lot better, really." Yoshimitsu nodded slightly, deep in thought.

"Yes… Yes, you have, but you still need more time to perfect your skill. Even one more day, one more second of perfection can mean the difference between life and death, my young friend," stated Yoshimitsu. Harper bowed again, thanking him for the advice.

Then, Harper said in English, _"Thank you very much, Master."_

"_You… are welcome," _responded Yoshimitsu carefully. _"It is my pleasure to help for you- to help you."_ He sighed. His English was getting better, thanks to Harper's instruction, but it was almost impossible for him to not make a mistake. "It seems," began Yoshimitsu, "that I need to work on perfecting my English."

* * *

"What?" mouthed Miharu Hirano, Xiaoyu's Japanese school-girl friend. The two were sitting in one of their classes at the Mishima Polytechnical School and, instead of listening to the professor's lecture, they were trying their best to have a silent conversation.

"I have something to tell you," Xiaoyu mouthed in return.

"I halve something blue cello?" asked Miharu, bringing her voice up to a mouse's whisper.

"I said," began Xiaoyu, her voice rising up to a whisper that was slightly louder than Miharu's, causing the students sitting nearby to glace over at her, "I have something to tell you!"

"Oh!" loudly exclaimed Miharu, who quickly covered her mouth with her hands. Fortunately, their professor, an elderly woman, didn't seem to notice.

Thinking it best to wait until after class, Xiaoyu brought as much attention as she could back to taking notes. Eventually, the bell rang and the shuffle to leave the lecture hall began. Xiaoyu quickly swept everything into her backpack and made her way to Miharu.

"Okay Xiao, now what do you have to tell me?" asked Miharu, putting the last of her school things in her own backpack.

"I can't really tell you here," informed Xiaoyu, making suspicious glances left and right. She couldn't help but smirk a little as she said, "There's eyes and ears _everywhere._"

"Ha ha, what?" inquired Miharu, as the two made their way out of the lecture hall and down the long gothic-style veranda that ran in between the older buildings on campus. The two then made their way out onto the grass and sat down on one of the many benches in the outdoor forum.

"Okay, now you have to promise not to tell anyone. Anyone!" said Xiaoyu, making sure to stress the importance.

"I promise!" assured Miharu, "Now tell me what's going on, Xiao."

"Alright. Well, remember my friend Jin Kazama?"

"The love of your life, Jin Kazama? Of course I remember him!" teased Miharu, causing Xiaoyu to glare at her.

"_Anyway_, he hasn't been around in a long time, and so I thought I would go to his grandfather Heihachi Mishima to try to talk to him. I guess I thought it would be easy, but before I knew it, I was running away from his security guards. It's my own fault, really, for trying to sneak in there so late at night, but I knew they'd never just let me in to see their boss, you know?" Miharu nodded intently, her eyes growing wider with interest.

"Well, I was actually getting really scared. I seriously thought they were going to kill me." Talking about it for the first time since it happened made Xiaoyu's spine tingle, but she just shook it off and continued, "At the last minute, I was rescued by Yoshimitsu! Can you believe that?"

"What? Yoshimitsu?! Isn't he that scary guy with the sword who fights in the King of Iron Fist Tournaments?" asked Miharu, almost not believing Xiaoyu, "Why was he there? How did he know you needed help?"

"I guess he saw me and decided to help me out," Xiaoyu shrugged, "All in all, he saved me and now I'm going to help him sneak into the-"

"Hey Xiaoyu! Hi Miharu!" greeted a young man, interrupting Xiaoyu, as he walked up to them. He had dark hair and glasses that almost made him invisible in his school uniform.

"Hi," the two girls repeated, looking up at him blankly.

"Umm… Xiaoyu… I was wondering if… Well, I was wondering if you wanted to hang out sometime tomorrow. Y-You can come too, Miharu, if you want." He rubbed the back of his neck nervously, hoping for the best.

"I'm busy, sorry," quickly answered Miharu.

"Actually, I'm busy too," added Xiaoyu, knowing it was the truth. "Maybe some other time?"

"Oh, sure, of course!" replied the young man, almost too eagerly. "See you around!" He then turned and began walking away. He could just faintly hear the two girls continue their conversation and, just for a second there, he could have sworn he heard them say the name 'Yoshimitsu.' This caused him to pause for a second, but then he remembered himself and continued walking.

'Yoshimitsu?' he thought, 'No… It couldn't be. They must be talking about a different Yoshimitsu. They can't be talking about the cyborg who I helped purge that virus from.'

* * *

The next day was their day off, so Xiaoyu spent the whole day training at the school's martial arts gym and, in the evening, she found herself in her room, preparing for that night's adventure.

Xiaoyu stood next to her bed as she continued to dry her hair, which was still wet from the shower she had emerged from not too long ago. She had displayed various articles of clothing on her bed in an effort to choose the best outfit.

"What would a spy wear?" she asked herself out loud, looking down at the various tops and bottoms. She eventually decided on black fitness pants and a dark-colored top. "At least they match…"

Just then, there was a knock on her door. Xiaoyu, who was only wearing shorts and a camisole, quickly put on the chosen clothes and rushed to the door. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and when she opened the door, she saw Yoshimitsu standing there just as she had hoped.

"Yoshimitsu! Come on in!" she offered, opening the door wider. "How'd you get here unnoticed?" She looked at his armor, which was silver and red. He looked like a demon, she thought, and his horned mask helped further the idea. She could see what looked like long, bright crimson hair coming from his head, and his sword- which looked more like a traditional katana as opposed to the glowing neon sword from his beetle suit- looked menacing in his hand.

"Are you feeling alright?" he asked, noticing how flustered she seemed. Xiaoyu nodded and stood aside to let him in, shutting the door quickly behind him. She could see his back now, and his back armor looked like the large face of a dragon. The silver-colored suit held reflections of Xiaoyu's apartment, and she could even see her own face.

"So, are you ready now or…? I just need to get my shoes on and put my hair up," stated Xiaoyu, as she began to make her way to the bathroom to get a blow dryer.

"Wait, please, Miss Xiaoyu," asked Yoshimitsu, "If I may suggest, I think you should wear your hair down. You'll be less recognizable."

"Oh! Of course. That makes sense," Xiaoyu answered as she continued on into her bedroom. There, she found a pair of socks and, after taking care of that, she slipped on her shoes and made her way back into the living room. "There! Ready!"

Yoshimitsu couldn't help but smile underneath his mask at seeing the young woman so keyed up and energized. His own emotions seemed to acclimate to hers, just from standing in the same room as her.

The two then made their way out of the apartment building and down the street. Xiaoyu, out of habit, made a left turn at the corner as if she was going to the bus stop. She looked back at Yoshimitsu to see him going the other way.

"Oh? Yoshimitsu, how are we getting there?" she asked as she rushed to catch up to him. This part of the neighborhood was quiet at this time of night. Most of the students who had afternoon groups they attended or night studying had gone back home, and so the commuting route to the academy would be much more calm than during the day.

"I've brought transportation," informed Yoshimitsu, looking back at her as they headed across the street to a public parking lot, "I hope you don't mind."

"Oh, not at all," she replied, but then she thought twice when she saw Yoshimitsu standing next to an intimidating street bike, black as pitch. He placed his sword into a scabbard that was attached to the bike and, pulling the keys from his arm guard, he sat on the bike and started it up.

He glanced back at her again, revving the throttle a little to wake the slumbering bike, "Miss Xiaoyu? Are you sure this is alright?"

"Um, yeah, I just…" Xiaoyu chuckled and walked up to the bike. "I just didn't picture you the kind of guy to ride a motorcycle is all." Yoshimitsu nodded to show her he understood.

"Well, it's still a little new to me. I usually prefer a horse or even a car, but this is better suited for a mission in the city. It gives us a quicker getaway." He then unlatched the strap that had kept a black helmet hanging from the handlebars and he gave it to Xiaoyu, "I hope it fits. I had to guess the size."

Xiaoyu took the helmet in her slender hands and, putting it on, she sat down behind him on the bike.

"Okay," she said, slapping the visor down, "I'm ready!"

"Alright, then, watch your feet and hold on tight," instructed Yoshimitsu as the bike pushed forward and carried the two of them out of the parking lot and down the street.

The two sped up as they passed car after car, which made Xiaoyu a little uneasy, but she held fast to his waist, which felt strong under the layers of cloth and armor. Yoshimitsu could feel her grip tighten and so he slowed the bike down slightly.

'This is fun,' Yoshimitsu admitted to himself, pleased that his ability to smoothly shift gears and turn tightly had improved enough to make this an enjoyable ride, at least for him. He could feel the rush of speed, almost like when he flew, and it caused him to fall into an alert relaxation.

Eventually, after about half an hour of riding, the two pulled up to the loading lane across the street from the entrance to the school. Aside from a few lights in the hallways, which the janitors used when cleaning, the large building looked empty. Relieved that the ride was over, Xiaoyu took off the helmet and glanced at her watch.

"It's 11:45," she began, "Everyone should be gone, now. The last study session ended at 11:30."

"It's still a bit too soon," Yoshimitsu said, calculating, "We should wait a little bit longer. But where?"

Just then, Xiaoyu's stomach cried out in hunger, making her cheeks blush.

"I guess I forgot to eat something earlier," she explained, "Do you think we could…?"

"Go get something to eat? Sure!" answered Yoshimitsu. Xiaoyu's smile shone at his easy-going attitude and, once she had the helmet back in place, the two sped off to the nearby market.

Once there, they found a spot to park and began heading towards the closest food stand. Xiaoyu had forgotten to leave the helmet at the bike, and so while she went to take care of that, Yoshimitsu sat down at the stand and placed his sword on the bar top. Ignoring the stares of the other patrons, he went ahead and ordered food.

"Sorry about that," said Xiaoyu, as she sat down next to her noticeable companion, "Oh, you already ordered?"

"Yes, well," began Yoshimitsu, looking over at her, "I already ate earlier, so I got this for you. I didn't know what you'd like, so I just got the dumplings…"

"I absolutely _love_ dumplings!" cheered Xiaoyu, "Thank you so much!" Usually Xiaoyu, like most other young women her age, would try to be modest when eating, but she had decided that being around Yoshimitsu was different.

'Maybe we're becoming friends!' she mused to herself as she began eating the dumplings.

'Are we becoming friends?' Yoshimitsu asked himself in his mind, growing worried.

"So," began Xiaoyu, looking over at him from her plate of dumplings, "What did you do for the picture on your motorcycle license? You didn't wear your mask, did you?"

"Actually, I don't have a license," Yoshimitsu admitted with a hidden smile, "I'm not even a Japanese citizen."

"Really? Taking a risk there, aren't you? Well then, where are you from and how do you get around without an ID?"

"Oh, I was born here in Japan, but I denounced my citizenship when I joined the Manji Clan. The Manji Clan can't be affiliated with any country, because then that binds us to one, so to speak. We'd have to follow so many rules and hack through so much red tape just to transfer refugees to our base. I could still be detained for all of this, but at least we have more mobility. We just have to do everything ourselves. And even though I stick out like a sore thumb, there are not many police officers or government officials around here who don't know that it'd be useless to try to catch me." Yoshimitsu paused and looked over at Xiaoyu, who appeared to have lost interest and was busy poking at the filling of an opened dumpling with her chopsticks.

"Xiaoyu," he said, getting her attention. Xiaoyu looked over at him and smiled.

"I'm listening, I'm listening. Don't worry. And hey! You dropped the 'Miss' and called me Xiaoyu! Progress!" She cheered as she gave him a thumbs up.

'Damn, I did, didn't I?' thought Yoshimitsu. However, he felt okay with it. At least for now.

"Anyway, Xiaoyu, are you done eating?" he asked, suddenly feeling the urge to get out of the area.

"Yeah, I'm done," answered Xiaoyu, as Yoshimitsu placed a few bills on the bar top to cover the price and a tip.

"Alright, let's go," he said as the two made their way back to the bike. He was starting to get that prickly feeling on the back of his neck, as if someone was watching them.

"Thank you so much for paying for my dinner, Yoshimitsu. I really appreciate it," thanked Xiaoyu, her voice slightly muffled by the helmet she had placed over her head.

"No problem," casually replied Yoshimitsu. He hopped on the bike and started the engine, taking a quick look around for anyone suspicious. His mind elsewhere, he unthinkingly added, "You'll just have to get the bill next time." His eyes widened a bit when he realized what he said.

"It's a date then!" playfully joked Xiaoyu. Without a word, Yoshimitsu revved the bike to life and, as the two took off back towards the school, Yoshimitsu cursed at himself internally.

* * *

Author's Note: Again, I'm sorry for my epic failure at keeping the length of the chapter at a minimum, but hopefully the actual content made up for it! Again, any reviews are greatly appreciated! Thanks!


	4. Chapter Four: From Your Enemies

Author's Note: I don't really have much to say, other than: enjoy!

Chapter Four: From Your Enemies

Yoshimitsu's red vision focused on the Mishima Polytechnical School. In the dead of night, it looked much more imposing than a college should. Xiaoyu stood closely by his side, peering out at the same building she saw almost every day, noticing just how much night could transform it.

"There doesn't seem to be much security, which makes sense. It's just a school…" stated Yoshimitsu, who continued to scan the surrounding area. They had left the black street bike in an alley only a short distance away, just in case they needed to make a break for it.

"The main computer lab is on the third floor, right over there," Xiaoyu said, pointing to the eastern wing of the large school. Yoshimitsu followed her finger to see that the computer lab was in a section of the building that had no windows- probably to protect the equipment.

'So,' he thought, 'we'll have to go in from the inside.'

After making sure the coast was clear, the two dashed across the empty street and made their way around the western side of the property, using the many trees and shrubs for cover. Xiaoyu did her best to follow Yoshimitsu closely, but she could never tell just when and where he would dart to next. They nearly circumvented the entire main hall of the school before Yoshimitsu decided on an acceptable entry point.

The two found themselves in the same outdoor forum that sat in between the on-campus dining facility and the grand lecture hall. Yoshimitsu gazed at the roof of the veranda that snaked around the forum until he saw a window. He double-checked to make sure there were no security cameras in the area, and then he looked over his armored shoulder at Xiaoyu, whose clear eyes looked back at him with interest.

"Does this school have a security system?" he asked in a low voice, almost too difficult to hear.

"Huh? Oh, yes, but only for the five computer labs. It's just to protect the equipment from theft. Don't worry, though. I can unlock the door with my student ID!" she piped cheerfully, glad to be useful.

Yoshimitsu, looking around the ground that they were crouched over, then took up a decent-sized stone in his hand. He tossed it up a little as if he were trying to guess its weight, but before Xiaoyu could inquire about it, he looked over at her and said, "Alright, we're going in. Can you climb?"

Xiaoyu gave him a nod and the duo ran towards the veranda, aiming for the vine-coated lattice that stood at the end of the stone-pillared overhang. Yoshimitsu leapt through the air and, grabbing hold of the lattice, began climbing to the top. Xiaoyu followed him, content to just start climbing from the bottom. The vines felt cool under her hands as her senses were beginning to grow sharper from the excitement.

Once at the top, the two crouched down and carefully made their way towards the target window. Yoshimitsu knelt by the window, noticing how its old wooden frame was covered in a seal of white paint, undisturbed for what seemed to be a very long time. Even if the window was unlocked, it would be difficult to open it.

Yoshimitsu, sword in hand, began cutting at the glass. He seemed to be carving through the glass in no particular fashion, and once he was through the glass pane, he carefully took the piece he had cut out and set it to the side. Yoshimitsu reached his left arm- his robotic prosthetic- through the window and, relying on the strength of his trick wrist, he easily wrenched the lock open. Placing his palm on the wooden frame that once held the glass pane, he pushed up as hard as he could. The window budged from its resting place, causing the white paint to crack and chip off.

Yoshimitsu then climbed through the window, lowering himself down into a long hallway that was empty albeit a handful of wooden doors that led to classrooms. There were no lights on, but even if there wasn't moonlight shining through the windows, Yoshimitsu's cybernetic eyes helped him see in the dark hallway. He looked up at the window and motioned for Xiaoyu to climb through and, after helping her down to the floor, they made their way down the hallway.

"I don't really come this way often," began Xiaoyu, trying to find her bearing, "I think this way will take us to the center stairwell. We can go up a level to the third floor from there."

Xiaoyu felt loud and obvious as she followed the silent Yoshimitsu, her clothes swishing with each step. She couldn't believe how quietly he could move in that attention-grabbing suit of armor. He didn't say a word, determined and deadly. She looked at his sword, suddenly aware of its ability to hack through not only glass, but skin and bone. Its ability to kill. Xiaoyu found herself wishing they were back at the food stand in the market.

* * *

Clad in a black, full-body stealth suit, he looked over his equipment as it lay sprawled around over the cheap hotel bed. The large sniper rifle looked out of place against the faded, floral print of the bed cover. Standing in the dimly lit room, he crossed his arms as he mentally went over what he had seen in the crowded market less than an hour ago.

He had followed Yoshimitsu as best he could, which brought him to that public parking amongst all those houses and apartments. He had watch Yoshimitsu enter a nearby building and return with some woman. She didn't seem like the type to hang out with Yoshimitsu's breed, but that didn't concern him. Eyes on the target, he followed them to that college, and then to the market. He saw the two talking at a food stand and he watched closely as they left. To where, he didn't know. He didn't plan on making a move at the market, so crowded with people. It was too soon, and after hearing the description of the Manji Clan leader from his client, he wasn't about to rush into things and make a mistake.

No, he would wait patiently for the perfect time to strike. Yoshimitsu would no doubt be back to that woman's apartment. Who wouldn't? He would be there, ready and waiting for his chance to make the kill.

* * *

"Taa daa!" softly cheered Xiaoyu, upon seeing the indicator light on the lock to the glass door change from red to green after she slid her student ID though the reader. She pushed the door open and made her way into the familiar computer lab.

With no windows, the lab was completely dark with only the small lights on the numerous computer towers and monitors blinking in the darkness. In the dark, the glowing red eyes of Yoshimitsu's mask shone more brightly than usual as he made his way into the lab and sat down at the nearest computer. With a flick of the mouse, he brought the computer to life, causing the blue light from the screen to accent the exotic features of his armor.

Xiaoyu placed her ID into the card slot on the key board and quickly typed in her key code. From somewhere- Xiaoyu wasn't sure where exactly- Yoshimitsu pulled out what looked like a normal flash drive and inserted it into a port. Yoshimitsu knew that retrieving information would be much easier if he just connected himself to the computer, but that took some serious hardware that even he didn't quite fully know how to use.

So, making due with the little device that Dr. Bosconovich had given him earlier for this very task, Yoshimitsu began hacking into the mainframe, searching for anything that would be useful. His fingers moved dexterously across the keys, only pausing when he thought he found something worth copying. He found names of enrolled students and their information, such as previous education and addresses. He also found files which suggested that the school wasn't merely connected to the Mishima Zaibatsu by name, but also through manpower and resources.

Xiaoyu, who had taken a seat next to Yoshimitsu, was stricken clueless at all the information he was pulling up. She then watched as he shredded past the security of the Mishima Polytechnical School's information database and archives. Data from some of the highest security level tests and experiments that the Mishima Zaibatsu Research and Testing Laboratories had conducted were filed away into this expansive archive. Yoshimitsu found data on everything from weapons development to robotics, and he even stumbled upon cryobiology research and cybernetic implant procedures, the very sciences that had made him into what he was now. Although, these experiments had been conducted and overseen by Dr. Abel, whose work was nowhere near the level of that of Dr. Bosconovich.

Xiaoyu, eyes heavy, began to grow tired. Her head lowered sleepily, and she leaned back in the computer chair. Yoshimitsu, however, was too absorbed in his work to notice, and his attention was even more taken up when he found the files of high criminal activity recorded by the Tekken Force. There were lists upon lists of known gangs and their members, including the Black Pheasant Syndicate. This is what he was looking for.

He finished his work quickly and, after shutting everything back down, he tucked away the enhanced flash drive and turned in his seat to hand Xiaoyu her ID back. Rather unsurprisingly, he discovered that Xiaoyu has dozed off. He gave her feet a light kick, causing her to stir. She opened her eyes and, blinking, sat up suddenly.

"Oh! Sorry," she apologized, rubbing her eyes, "Really, I'm sorry, I don't know why I'm so *yawn* tired."

"Don't worry about it," assured Yoshimitsu, rising from his seat. He handed Xiaoyu her ID and took up his sword, which had been leaning against the computer desk. "Time to go."

The two began retracing their steps back through the hallway, down the wide stairs, and out of the window. Yoshimitsu, after reclosing the window and locking it, took out the stone he had picked up earlier.

"Ummm," chimed Xiaoyu, a little worried about sounding stupid, "What are you doing with that?"

"I couldn't just break the glass before," he whispered in response, "It would be too loud and might have alerted someone. Xiaoyu, if you were an angry vandal who threw this rock, what would you write on it?"

She smiled, having plenty ideas to chose from, "This school sucks!"

Yoshimitsu, using the very tip of his sword like a surgeon's knife, quickly carved the characters into the stone. Then, placing the removed glass piece in his left hand, he brought the stone down on it in a way that quietly broke up the glass into pieces to mimic the act of throwing the rock through the window. Then, unable to avoid at least a little noise, Yoshimitsu tossed the stone inside and spread the glass shards across the hallway floor in a sweeping motion.

'This'll be fun to hear about next Monday,' thought Xiaoyu, 'The headmaster will be livid!'

Brushing his gloved hands off, Yoshimitsu took up his sword and the two climbed down the lattice. It didn't take them too long to get off of the school grounds, and soon they were walking down the street towards where they had parked the bike.

"I'm glad that went well! Great job!" congratulated Xiaoyu. She knew she hadn't done much, except make getting into the lab and logging onto the computer that much easier, but even that small amount of participation made her feel rather accomplished.

"Yes, so far, things are going smoothly. I'm sorry if the uproar from that vandalism causes you trouble when you return to school," said Yoshimitsu, walking in steady paces down the sidewalk.

"Aww, you're worried about little ol' me?" teased Xiaoyu, now fully awake and in a refreshed mood, "That's so sweet!"

"I just- Well, I'm just saying," stammered Yoshimitsu, wishing she didn't find so much entertainment in toying with him. Xiaoyu giggled a little, putting her hands in the pockets of her jacket.

"You're a nice guy, Yoshimitsu," she stated, looking over at him, "I hope you found what you were looking for."

"I think I found some good leads," he replied, thinking back to all the information he had ripped from the database, "But I'm going to have to have it analyzed back at the base." Yoshimitsu didn't really see the harm in tell her at least a little bit more about his life. It wasn't really anything she couldn't find out on her own.

"The base? Where the Manji Clan is?" asked Xiaoyu, "Is it nearby? You'd think the authorities would have found it by now."

"I don't really know why they haven't," added Yoshimitsu, "I suppose it's just not on the top of their list of things to do. It won't really matter all that much soon, anyway." Xiaoyu was about to probe into that subject, but before she could form the words, they were already at the alleyway where the bike was parked.

The ride back to the parking lot nearby Xiaoyu's apartment went quickly at such a late hour, but just when he thought they were in the clear, Yoshimitsu noticed something strange up ahead. As they neared the parking lot to the left, Yoshimitsu could see someone standing in between some of the cars that were parallel parked across the street, to the right.

The dark figure then stepped out into the road, and with no warning, he lifted up a handgun and fired off a silent shot. Yoshimitsu saw stars and static for a second as the bullet hit his metal mask and ricocheted off. Xiaoyu let out a small scream as the bike reared up on its back wheel. Yoshimitsu, his sights still trying to clear up, struggled to get the bike under control. He couldn't manage it in time, however, and as he tried to bring the bike to a halt, the bike's back tire slid forward and the two were thrown onto the street as the bike tipped over and eventually crashed.

After sliding a few meters, Yoshimitsu quickly rose to his feet and looked around frantically for Xiaoyu. She had rolled off to the side and sat up, shaking her head and gritting her teeth. She had been badly cut up, as he could see by her torn, bloody clothes. Luckily, the helmet had at least protected her head, but it appeared as if she couldn't move from her place without pain.

Yoshimitsu then looked over at their assailant. He was a man of medium height and slender build, Yoshimitsu could see, and although the man's face was hidden, Yoshimitsu could tell that he was serious about what he was about to attempt.

"Who sent you?!" called out Yoshimitsu. He had managed to keep his grip on the hilt of his sword, and he held it out in front of him now, preparing to fight. The assailant merely pulled back the hammer of his semi-automatic pistol, having just slapped in a newly filled magazine. Yoshimitsu made quick glances from the assailant to Xiaoyu, who had managed to pull herself out of sight in between two cars.

'He's not worried about the girl,' thought Yoshimitsu, glad for once that someone was trying to kill him and him alone. But he had to do something fast before this man found a way to shoot him in a vulnerable spot.

Just then, Yoshimitsu charged the stealth-suited assailant, who had brought his weapon back up to fire off more shots. However, using his robotic wrist, Yoshimitsu's sword became a metal windmill as he spun it around with ungodly speed. The sword cut the bullets out of the air, throwing them down onto the pavement.

"Damn," the assailant muttered under his breath as he drew a long-bladed knife from his side. Before he knew it, Yoshimitsu was right in front of him, and so he had to roll out of the way to avoid Yoshimitsu cutting him clean in half. As he rolled back, he fired another shot at Yoshimitsu, who dodged to the side just in time. The assailant got to his feet and blocked another of Yoshimitsu's slashes with his knife and, by locking the hilt guards of the two blades, he pulled Yoshimitsu towards him.

"That first shot was 'hello,' from your enemies," the man said, his voice unwavering in their struggle, "And this is 'good bye'." Then, pressing the barrel of the pistol right up to Yoshimitsu's sword-wielding left arm, he fired at point blank.

But to his surprise, the force of the shot just propelled Yoshimitsu's arm back and, using the momentum, he spun around and planted a left kick right into the side of the assailants head. The powerful kick knocked the assailant off his feet, and before he even landed, Yoshimitsu came down on him with means of running him through. But before he had the chance, Yoshimitsu was blinded by a bright flash, making his audio receptors in his ears ring loudly. The assailant had somehow activated some sort of electromagnetic flash grenade just in time and, using this opportunity, he jumped to his feet and fled. Things hadn't been going the way he had liked them to, and so this would have to wait for another time and place.

By the time Yoshimitsu's head cleared up, the assailant was long gone. He quickly ran to the bike to move it out of the road, and then he went to Xiaoyu's side. He knelt down on one knee beside her and lifted her up.

"Xiaoyu! Are you alright?" he asked worriedly. She had removed the helmet and so he could now see her face.

"Yeah, I'm alright," she answered, "But my leg really hurts." She hissed in pain when she tried to move it, and Yoshimitsu could see why. The friction of the road had torn through the knee of her left pant leg and had scratched up her skin pretty badly. "My back hurts too," she added, "I think it might be cut up."

"I'll get you inside. Give me your key, please." Yoshimitsu took her card key and, after lifting her up, he ran across the street to her apartment building. Once inside, he darted to the elevator, where Xiaoyu reached out and pushed the button to her floor.

As he held her, Yoshimitsu could feel the gloved hand that was pressed against her back begin to grow damp with blood. The elevator's chime of a greeting sounded ridiculous now as he rushed inside, cursing at the doors for moving so lazily. Once they were on her floor, he hurried down the hall to her apartment. Being careful not to hit her head against anything, he managed to unlock the door with a quick swipe and carried her inside. Closing the door with a kick, he placed her on the couch and then raced into the bathroom.

"Do you have a first aid kit?" he asked urgently. He had to work quickly, not only to stop the bleeding, but just in case that assailant decided to come back.

"Yeah," answered Xiaoyu, her voice tense with pain, "It's underneath the bathroom sink."

Yoshimitsu returned with the first aid kit in hand. He set it down next to the couch and, going into the kitchen area, he filled a bowl with warm water and, after a bit of searching, snatched a clean towel out of a cupboard. He returned to Xiaoyu's side and, seeing that the wound on her leg was bleeding more than the one on her back, he started with that. With little to no protest from Xiaoyu, he tore a bigger hole in her pant leg and began wiping up the blood with the towel.

"Oww," Xiaoyu exclaimed weakly as she cringed, "It stings."

"Sorry," he said, concentrating on cleaning and dressing her wound. The alcohol he used stung even more than the water, but soon he had applied a soothing antiseptic and covered that with gauze and bandages. "Can you sit up?" he asked, re-wetting the towel and trying to wring it out until it was as clean as he could get it.

"Sure," responded Xiaoyu. She sat up and, after moving over a little, Yoshimitsu sat next to her. After cautiously removing her destroyed jacket, he could see the blood staining her torn white camisole. At this point, he wasn't quite sure what to do about getting the fabric off.

"I'm sorry, but I need to get to the wound. I don't mean to-"

"Don't worry about it," replied Xiaoyu. She would normally be bashful now, but each twinge of pain made her mind dull and tired. She just held on to the front of the small shirt to keep covered up while Yoshimitsu tore the back of it down the middle, revealing her slender back.

Yoshimitsu removed his forearm guards and gloves so that they wouldn't get in the way of this more delicate wound, and he set them on the floor nearby. With the damp towel in hand, he gently wiped up the blood. Xiaoyu let out small yelps, but other than that, she sat there silently, trying to piece together what had happened. It wasn't until Yoshimitsu had begun applying the antiseptic that she started to speak again.

"… Who was that guy?" she asked, grasping for any sort of sensible answer, "Why did he try to kill you?" What kind of trouble did Yoshimitsu bring to her?

"I…" he paused for a moment, then continued to cover her wounds with gauze and medical tape, "I don't know. I don't know who he was or who sent him."

Xiaoyu, who was now very ill at ease, was about to demand more explanation to what just happened, but then she felt Yoshimitsu's fingertips on her back as he smoothed out the white medical tape. One of his hands, she could feel, was the robotic one, but the other one was unmistakably human. It was warmer, more reassuring.

"There," said Yoshimitsu, patting her back lightly, "All better." Xiaoyu turned to look at him.

"Thank you," sprung from her mouth, but her eyes were still full of shock and near accusation. She continued to sit there, holding up her shirt, and Yoshimitsu could feel something uneasy in the air. Whatever it was, he had to do something to break it. Now.

"…." He stood, looking around, "Your hair. Maybe you shouldn't wear it down anymore." It seemed an odd thing to say, but it was all he could think of as he stared at her. He didn't want to see her like that anymore, with her hair down. She looked different, older. She didn't look like an annoying little girl at all.

"I'm tired," Xiaoyu said as she stood, "I'm going to go to bed now. Please… Don't go after that guy, okay? At least not now…" Yoshimitsu nodded, knowing that he would stay here to make sure she was safe.

"Yes, of course…" He then began picking up the unused supplies and putting them back into the first aid kit. "Good night, Xiao…"

Xiaoyu turned then to look back at him once more before going into her room. She smiled, almost like her regular self.

"Good night, Yoshimitsu."

* * *

Author's Note: I think this is going to be the average length of all the chapters from here on out. I just can't seem to fit enough into anything shorter. Any reviews are welcome. Thanks!


	5. Chapter Five: Pushing the Payload

Author's Note: Again, I don't really have much to add before the chapter, except a quick thanks to the readers. I hope you're enjoying this story as much as I've enjoyed writing it.

Chapter Five: Pushing the Payload

He was back in his own hotel room, sitting out on the small balcony. The early morning air was beginning to warm up as the sun took its first peeks over the horizon. The smoke from his cigarette wafted up, disappearing into the air. He had traded his black stealth suit for a wine-colored button-up shirt and dark-wash jeans. He continued to clean out the barrel of his rifle as he debriefed himself on the failed killing. Just as he was flicking the built up ash off the tip of his cigarette, his cell phone let out a soft chime. He picked it up from its resting place on the top of the tiny patio table and held it to his ear.

"De Garonne," he answered, eyebrows furrowed as he blew out smoke. He took another drag as he listened to the speaker on the other end. "No, I didn't… Exactly that: I didn't… Well, they were right when they said he isn't entirely human. I shot him in the damn head and it just knocked him off his motorbike." He thought back to that moment, remembering the impressive endurance of his target.

"I don't know. Later today? Tomorrow? These things take time," he continued with his accented voice, exhaling smoke, "Look, I never lose a target, so you can tell Aikuchi that his money will be well spent… How am I sure? Last night, the target revealed a weakness. He has a little girlfriend or something… No, she's no one important. Just some college kid… I'm not asking for more money to take her down, too. I'm just saying that if I need to, I can use her to get to him, but it won't come to that, alright?" The call was then ended and he placed the phone back on the small table.

"_Alu hori," _cursed De Garonne, as he returned to his work of cleaning the rifle. This job was beginning to be more of a hassle than it was perhaps worth. He wasn't too keen on killing women, especially young girls, so he was really banking on this ending before it came to that. However, a job's a job, and if he was to fail, it would be awful for his reputation. So, obviously, failure would have to go bugger off.

* * *

"Oww," Xiaoyu muttered under her breath as she sat up in her bed. Stretching made the wound on her back hurt, but at least it hurt less than it did the night before.

'My Saturday morning better run smoother than last night,' she thought to herself, adjusting her sweater as she rose from the bed. Her hair was back in its familiar pigtails, and they seemed to go well with her pink pajamas.

As quietly as she could, Xiaoyu edged to her bedroom door and took a peek out into the living room. With the door opened just a crack, she could see Yoshimitsu lying on the couch in the traditional Japanese clothing that he wore under his suit. His armor, including his mask, was lying on the floor neatly beside the couch. Xiaoyu opened the door a little further and took a step closer. Yoshimitsu's right arm was dangling off the couch and his robotic left arm was draped across his face, covering everything but his mouth.

Overwhelmed with curiosity, she took another step to get a closer look. However, just as she did, Yoshimitsu's deep voice broke the early-morning silence.

"Good morning, Xiaoyu," he greeted blankly, his voice buzzing. Xiaoyu quickly spun around, shoulders tense like a criminal who was caught red-handed.

"G-Good morning, Yoshimitsu! I'm sorry, I thought you were asleep," she replied quickly.

"I was," he added, rising from the couch and reaching for his mask, having placed it on the nearby coffee table. Once that was in place, Xiaoyu turned slowly to face him.

"I'm sorry if I woke you up," she said, walking up to the couch, "I just couldn't sleep. I think my injuries woke me up or something. They really itch." She sat down on the couch, making sure not to sit too close. Yoshimitsu yawned as he stretched his arms out.

"I'll re-dress them here in a bit," he offered, glancing over at the digital clock on the DVD player. It blinked 12:00. Useless. "What time is it?" he asked her, turning a bit to face her.

"About 5:00 AM. Too early for my taste." She looked over at him for a moment and then added, "Did you sleep alright? Not too cold?"

"It was fine," he answered, his head feeling a little dizzy. There was so much to think about now, what with last night's happenings. He had to get in contact with the Manji Clan, but he couldn't just leave Xiaoyu alone here. Not after that killer saw her.

Xiaoyu, tired of the weird feeling that was floating in the air, stood and asked happily, "Want some breakfast?" She then walked over to the lamp in the corner, bringing it to life with a click.

"No, thank you. I'm not hungry," lied Yoshimitsu, as best he could. Eating, showering, changing clothes and all that morning stuff could wait until he got back to the base. Instead, he began putting his armor back on.

"Oh, come on, you have to be hungry. Especially after you fought off that assassin guy," said Xiaoyu, making her way into the kitchen. The sun was rising higher in the sky now, sending beams of light in through the windows. She could feel the tenseness in the air dissipate after mentioning the incident from the night before, and the sun helped to improve her mood.

"Some juice would be appreciated," said Yoshimitsu, knowing he would have to have something if she was going to stop bothering him about it.

"Great!" exclaimed Xiaoyu, her enthusiasm at the chance to be hospitable making him feel less annoyed than he was pretending to be.

The two sat there at the wooden kitchen table, Xiaoyu eating a bowl of cereal and Yoshimitsu sipping on some orange juice. Again, he tucked the straw under his dragon-faced mask, making small sipping sounds.

"So," began Xiaoyu, her voice mingled with the sound of birdsong and passing cars outside as the area woke up, "What are you going to do about that assassin?"

'Look at this girl!' thought Yoshimitsu, taking another sip of juice, 'Why does she insist on getting more involved?'

"I'll take care of that as soon as possible," he answered, finishing off the juice, "If you don't mind, Xiaoyu, I need to use your cell phone. I'm going to have to contact my clan to let them know I'm alright. And now that our new found friend knows where you live, I'm going to have to be careful about it…"

"Does that mean…?" Xiaoyu knew what happens now. She'd seen it in a dozen action movies before, and it was obvious, "Does that mean that you have to take me with you? Because this place isn't safe anymore?"

Yoshimitsu knew it was inevitable, but he had foolishly hoped that he would be able to think of another solution before it came to this.

"Yes," he sighed silently, trying not to appear too distraught at the idea, "So please pack some essentials. Enough for a week, at least."

Xiaoyu nodded, hiding her renewed excitement, as she stood from her seat. Picking up the bowl and the empty glass, she walked into the kitchen and washed them hurriedly.

"My phone's here on the countertop!" she said as she darted into her bedroom, her bright voice revealing a bit of her excitement.

Yoshimitsu sighed out loud then, wondering how he was going to keep her under control once they arrived at the Manji Clan Complex. She was going to ask so many questions and probably try to touch everything in sight.

Xiaoyu was in her room going through her clothes, trying to decide what to leave behind and what to take with. Soon, various articles were strewn all around the floor. While she continued to sort through her clothes, she could hear Yoshimitsu's voice in the small kitchen as he talked on the phone.

"Yes, immediately," replied Yoshimitsu, tapping a finger on the countertop, "Also, Kawamitsu, make sure one of the spare rooms in the Main Building is ready. We're going to have a… visitor." The word was almost painful to say. On the other end of the line, Kawamitsu new better than to ask about it. The call was ended shortly thereafter, leaving Yoshimitsu to his thoughts once more.

'Who would hire someone to kill me?' he asked himself, leaning back against the counter top, 'Are they connected with the syndicate that's after Kunimitsu?'

"Okay, ready!" cheered Xiaoyu, emerging from her room with two large pieces of luggage full of clothes. Yoshimitsu looked back over his shoulder at her and, upon sight of her excessive luggage, he placed a hand to his head.

"Didn't I say to only pack the essentials for a week?" he wasn't afraid to let a little frustration be heard in his voice, "Why are you bringing so many clothes?" What? Does she change clothes every hour?

"They're not all just clothes," she explained, smiling, "this one's got everything else in it." She pulled the luggage to the door, leaving it there to wait until they left. Yoshimitsu crossed his arms and, deciding it was best to pick his battles carefully, just let her bring it all along.

"I requested an airlift. I hope you're not afraid of helicopters," he stated, gathering up his sword and the keys to the bike.

"Not at all!" answered Xiaoyu, "So, are they picking us up on the roof? I should probably start heading up there. I think I have everything I'll need."

"Go on ahead," allowed Yoshimitsu, "Just don't go up on the roof until they get here, okay? That man might be out there, watching." Xiaoyu nodded as seriously as she could, her pigtails flowing like streamers.

"Are you not coming with?" she asked, opening the door.

"I'll follow on the ground, if my bike's still out there," he answered, "Now get going. They're quick to respond, so they should be here soon." His thoughts went to Iiguru and Taka, the Manji Clan's duo of pilots to the helicopter they named Youkai. The two pilots were inseparable from their aircraft: they practically lived in the thing.

Soon, Xiaoyu was in the elevator, heading up to the top floor. Yoshimitsu had locked up the apartment and began making his way to the other elevator down the hall. The elevator opened to reveal a young couple standing there, on their way down to the first floor. He stepped into the elevator, taking care not to look at them. They seemed to be too weirded out by his appearance to say anything, which suited him just fine.

He walked briskly down the hall and out into the sunlight. It was considerably warmer today, and he couldn't wait to get back home. However, he would first have to make sure things here went smoothly.

Taking a look around, Yoshimitsu wondered if the assassin really was out there, watching him. The most favorable outcome would be if he were to follow Yoshimitsu, as opposed to hanging around to see the helicopter pick up Xiaoyu. Then he could at least fight him alone.

Crossing the street, he made his way over to the bike, which was still lying on the side of the street. There was a lot of paint scrapped off and both of the mirrors were broken off, but it looked like the engine was still together well enough to run. He lifted the bike up then, ignoring the onlookers passing by. A few of them said the occasional "Hey man, look at that!" but no one actually came up to him.

So, he just sheathed his sword and sat on the bike patiently. Yoshimitsu, knowing he would have to wait for the helicopter to show up, continued to sit there in silence.

Xiaoyu stood at the very top of the stairwell, waiting to hear the chopping blades of a helicopter, but she soon grew bored of waiting. Wheeling her luggage with her, she opened up the door that lead to the roof and took a few steps outside. The sun was very bright, she noted, and its warmth was comforting. Leaving the luggage by the stairwell door, she ventured further out onto the roof top, not really feeling any danger.

"I'll be alright," she said to herself, blocking out the sun with her hand as she scouted the skyline, "It's such a nice day!" She continued to venture out until she was at the edge of the roof top. She glanced down and smiled at seeing Yoshimitsu way down there, sitting on the black street bike.

'I should try to throw something at him to test his super-ninja reflexes,' Xiaoyu mused, looking around for a pebble or anything else she could toss. As she scoured the roof top, she looked up to see an open window across the street. There wasn't really anything too spectacular about the open office window, except that she could just barely pick out what looked like a black metal tube poking through the closed blinds. It seemed to be pointing at something, so she followed it down the street to where Yoshimitsu sat, waiting patiently.

Xiaoyu's eyes grew large as she rushed to the edge of the roof. Holding onto the stone barrier, she leaned over and screamed, "Yoshimitsu! Watch out!!"

Yoshimitsu, from his spot on the side of the road, heard someone shout his name. He looked up to see Xiaoyu, waving her arms and pointing at something down the street. He grumbled at her disregard for his earlier warning, but then he realized the urgency in her voice. Looking to where she was pointing, he could see the tip of a rifle poking out of a window.

A fraction of a second later, he threw himself down to pavement in a rolling motion, careful to use the bike as a shield. A dart, which had just barely missed him, made a loud pinging sound as it embedded itself into the car behind Yoshimitsu's bike. Lying on his back, he looked up at the car's front bumper to see the small, dark red dart sticking out. He reached up for it and, taking it in his hands, noted how the point of the dart had opened up to release small wires. They were like the feelers of a hermit crab, poking out of its shell in search of something to connect to.

"This is…" he began out loud, thinking back to that time at the airport. Kunimitsu, his long time friend and enemy, had surprise attacked him while he was picking up supplies. However, someone else seemed to be out to get him as well, and they had shot him with this very same type of dart. "Is he..?" He looked up at the window, taking care to stay behind the bike.

De Garonne, upon missing the shot, cursed under his breath as he began to quickly pack everything up. He only had a few moments time before anyone came looking for him. He was then motivated to move faster as the chopping sound of helicopter blades could be heard in the distance.

"Finally!" exclaimed Xiaoyu, still standing on the roof of her apartment building. From the large, imposing helicopter emerged a rope latter, rolling down until it came within Xiaoyu's reach.

Meanwhile, Yoshimitsu had started up his bike and sped off in the direction of the sniper. He would catch him this time, and then maybe he would have some answers. As he neared the building, he had to weave in between cars whose drivers had slowed down to look up at the helicopter that had suddenly appeared out of no where. People standing off to the sides hadn't noticed the sniper, but it was hard for anyone to miss the Manji Clan's multi-task helicopter.

"There's Yoshimitsu," pointed out Taka, the female co-pilot, "Where's he going?"

"Dunno," replied Iiguru, "He said that he'd follow us back to the base, but now it looks like he has other plans."

"Well, should we follow him? I mean, we don't have much time, you know. It's not like we have permission to be flying this thing over here…" Taka continued to keep the helicopter hovering perfectly over the apartment building as two other Manji ninja lowered themselves down to help Xiaoyu bring her luggage up.

"Heh… Talk about pushing the payload," Iiguru muttered, referring to both the bulk of this strange girl's luggage and the Manji Clan's bold appearance in this quieter part of town. He wondered why their leader would allow someone like her to follow them, but he knew the reason would be clear in time.

* * *

De Garonne threw his rifle case in the back of the small commercial truck and hurriedly jumped into the driver seat. He then pulled out of the alleyway and sped off in the opposite direction of the helicopter, unable to believe his awful luck.

Just as De Garonne passed a couple of small shops, Yoshimitsu hit the throttle and charged out of the small alleyway nearby. He was glad he'd been right about the sniper trying to escape this way and, ignoring the honking car he'd pulled out in front of, he zoomed off after De Garonne.

It didn't take long for the dark-haired sniper to see Yoshimitsu in his side-view mirror. He sped up even more as he grasped for his handgun. After rolling down the window, he reached out and fired a few shots back at the persistent cyborg.

Yoshimitsu ducked down as low as he could on the bike, continuing in his pursuit. Just as he was getting closer to the truck, De Garonne hit the brakes, jolting the truck to a stop. To avoid a head-on collision, Yoshimitsu squeezed the brake of his front tire and, with the back tire still propelling forward, he stood the bike up in a front wheelie. The momentum spun the bike in 180 degrees, hitting the back tire up against the back door of the cargo truck.

Yoshimitsu let out a breath, tense in his white-knuckle grip on the bike as it sat there for a second, back end up. Then he could feel the truck continue forward, letting the bike drop back down. Not wanting to risk losing his target, Yoshimitsu quickly stood up on the bike and leaped to the truck, just barely grabbing onto the top. The bike fell down in the middle of the street as the truck sped off. Yoshimitsu struggled to pull himself up, the side of the truck proving to be quite slippery.

De Garonne glanced in the side-view mirror, expecting to see Yoshimitsu lying in road with his bike. Unfortunately for him, all he saw was the bike, and it didn't take long for him to hear Yoshimitsu's feet scraping the back side of the truck as he tried to pull himself up. De Garonne sped forward, weaving the truck back and forth to try to throw Yoshimitsu off.

"Bastard!" cursed Yoshimitsu, trying to keep his hold on the truck. Things got especially hairy when they sped through a stop light, just barely missing the oncoming cars. Eventually, Yoshimitsu was able to pull himself up completely, but the top of the truck was just as slippery as the sides, so he had to lie down carefully to keep from sliding off.

De Garonne heard a sound to the left and so, continuing to drive, he pulled his handgun up and prepared for Yoshimitsu to appear in the left-hand mirror. He was then surprised by a double-footed batter to the head after Yoshimitsu swung down from the right, breaking through the passenger-side window.

Lying on his back, Yoshimitsu kicked the gun out of De Garonne's hand. He then sat up and reached for the steering wheel. De Garonne back-handed Yoshimitsu in the head with his right fist, but Yoshimitsu grabbed his arm and punched him in the jaw. The two continued to brawl with each other, each trying to get control of the truck. It wasn't too long before they were clipping parked cars and crashing through roadside clutter.

Just then, the two saw a large semi-truck pull out into the intersection up ahead. Going too fast to stop in time, De Garonne took the wheel with both hands and made a sharp turn to the left. Yoshimitsu, momentarily forgetting his battle in the truck seat, grabbed onto anything he could to help brace himself. The truck did its best to make the sharp turn, but physics wasn't impressed by its efforts and sent the truck tipping over, sliding into the intersection.

Yoshimitsu had been jarred pretty badly, his head having hit the roof of the truck when they crashed. When he opened his eyes, he saw that the driver-side door was open. Yoshimitsu scrambled out of the car just in time to see the city police pulling up, lights flashing and sirens blaring. De Garonne was gone.

Yoshimitsu then jumped from the truck and ran to the back. He opened the back door of the cargo truck and found a long, black gun case. He took it up in his hands, reemerging to see he police officers with their guns aimed at him as they stood behind their opened car doors.

Yoshimitsu, gun case in one hand, raised both his hands up in the air. Before the police could move in, however, the Manji Clan helicopter came up to the scene. The police, startled by the sudden aircraft hovering over them, could only look on as Hiyamitsu dove out of the helicopter with a line around her waist. The length of rescue line was just enough to bring her down to Yoshimitsu. She wrapped her arms around his waist and he held on to her legs as the two were quickly pulled up into the sky.

The helicopter soared higher as Yoshimitsu and Hiyamitsu were pulled up to safety. Hiyamitsu smiled behind her plain oni mask as she handed Yoshimitsu his sword, which he thought had been left behind with his bike.

"We saw your bike in the road and decided to pick this up, Master. Figured it was important," she said as she leaned back in her seat, stretching out her legs- both the natural and robotic.

"Important is an understatement," replied Yoshimitsu, nodding to her, "Thank you."

"Are you okay?!" asked Xiaoyu while she sat in the back of the helicopter with her luggage. She was glad to see that he had survived the high-speed chase.

"I'm fine," answered Yoshimitsu, kneeling down in the center of the fuselage, "I even picked up a little surprise." He brought the rifle case up to rest on his knee, hoping that whatever was inside, along with the information on the flash drive, would hold a few clues.

* * *

"This is some very extensive information you've brought to me," commented Dr. Bosconovich, the Manji Clan's resident scientist and Yoshimitsu's long time friend. It was Dr. Bosconovich who, after Yoshimitsu rescued him from the Mishima Zaibatsu almost 20 years ago, had giving Yoshimitsu his robotic arm and had eventually performed the cybernetic enhancement surgery that turned Yoshimitsu into his current self.

"I was hoping that there would be something in there to connect to the syndicate that's after Kunimitsu," stated Yoshimitsu, leaning against a stainless steel table with his arms crossed.

"It will take me some time to go through everything," replied Dr. Bosconovich, as he sifted through the information on his computer screen, "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I won't have anything substantial until tomorrow at the very earliest."

"I understand," said Yoshimitsu, nodding, "Please, let me know as soon as you find anything."

At the other end of the lab sat the Manji Clan's oldest and most experienced weapons expert: an aged, blind ninja named Yuromitsu. Having worked for the Manji Clan almost his entire life, Yuromitsu was the go-to man for any sort of weapons and machinery. He was easy to spot, too, wearing a dark blue sash around his eyes and a plain oni mask over that. The blue sash could be seen through the holes in the mask that were meant for his eyes, and although he was completely blind, his other inhumanly heightened senses made up for it. He was now sitting at a worktable in the lab, going over the contents of the rifle case.

"These are interesting indeed," Yuromitsu began, leaning towards Yoshimitsu so that he could see the darts he held in his hands, "They have these tiny wires that come out the tip upon impact, and each dart contains a microchip of some kind."

"That's the same dart that hit me at the airport last winter," commented Yoshimitsu, as he looked at the sniper rifle. He picked up the scope in one hand and peeked through it.

"We should have these analyzed carefully," recommended Yuromitsu, placing the darts back into their compartment in the case, "They might reveal a clue to their manufacturer. And as for this rifle, it's unmistakable. There's only one person who uses a rifle like this."

* * *

"Jean-Luc Roi Mikel de Garonne," Dr. Bosconovich pronounced the name clearly as the four men huddled around the computer screen. It had taken hours for him to sift thought the stolen information to find the hired sniper's almost empty file, "Age 26. Born in Tarnos, France. Family unknown. That's all it says. I wonder who hired him and why? If it was the syndicate that's after Kunimitsu, wouldn't they have hired this Jean-Luc de Garonne fellow to kill her instead?"

"Unless they want her alive and they're just trying to get Master out of the way, knowing he'd try to help her," offered Kawamitsu, playing with one of his throwing daggers.

"He brings up a good point," commented Yuromitsu, nodding, "No doubt this mysterious syndicate is aware of Kunimitsu's connection with the Manji Clan."

"Even so," began Yoshimitsu, arms crossed as he stared at the picture of the hired killer on the computer screen, "I don't know how we'll be able to find out who this man is working for. At least it shows us that Kunimitsu must still be out there somewhere, if he's continuing to hunt me."

"I'll continue working tonight," said Dr. Bosconovich, turning in his seat to look up at Yoshimitsu, "I suggest all of you go back to the base. And get some rest, Yoshimitsu. You've been here in my lab since you got back. I'm sure you have things to take care of back at the Manji headquarters."

Yoshimitsu nodded and, after thanking his old friend, he led the other Manji ninja out of the lab. They went upstairs and made their way outside the doctor's large, western-style home. They walked down the front walkway silently, heading into the woods to meet up with the path that led to the secluded Manji Clan base.

The walk went well, and although not all the answers had been found, Yoshimitsu certainly felt better from the progress they had made. He took this time to enjoy the forest and the weather, knowing that soon the autumn would bring colder temperatures during its transition to winter.

Once back at the base, the three Manji ninja parted ways. Yoshimitsu made it a priority to first do the things he had meant to do earlier in the morning, like taking a shower and eating food. It was now already late into the evening, and by the time he was done with everything and had changed into comfortable clothes, he was ready to turn in. As he sat in his room, meditating before sleep, he heard a loud knock on his door that rattled the wooden frame.

"Yes?" he asked, looking up to see who could possibly be in such a hurry. It didn't really surprise him to see Xiaoyu standing in his doorway, wearing light blue pajamas and holding a stuffed panda bear. She had a look of resentment on her face, irritated beyond reason.

"What took you so long?!" she asked, trying her best to look as frustrated as possible, "I was so bored! There's absolutely nothing to do in the room they gave me! How do you stay alive out here?" She invited herself into his room then, sitting across from him on the mat floor. Yoshimitsu let out a sigh, scratching his head.

"What did you expect?" he asked, shifting back into the mindset he seemed to have whenever around her, "This isn't an amusement park. We do serious work, here."

"It's nice that you help refugees," stated Xiaoyu, her bright eyes wandering around the room, "But if you do nothing but work and never have any fun, it'll kill you."

"I don't think I have to worry about dying from stress or overwork," replied Yoshimitsu, sure that his cybernetic body could withstand a few hours a day of stress, among other things.

"That man with the knives told me that you got the sniper's rifle case," she brought up the fact, hoping to find out something interesting, "Did you make any incredible discoveries?"

Yoshimitsu shrugged, saying, "We got a name, but that's it. Don't worry about it, Xiao. This rifle of his is a one-of-a-kind, so I don't think we need to worry about him getting another one for a little while, at least."

"Okay," replied Xiaoyu, surrender in her voice. She was getting tired, anyway. She rose, hugging her stuffed panda bear as she walked out of the room, "Good night!"

"Yes, good night," Yoshimitsu said in response, rising to close the door once Xiaoyu was down the hall a little ways.

'That man, Jean-Luc de Garonne, is going to want his rifle. We'll just have to see how much he's willing to do to get it back.' With that thought, Yoshimitsu switched off the light at his desk table and went to sleep.

* * *

Author's Note: Slightly longer chapter there. This might be the halfway point of the fanfic, but we'll see. Again, thanks to the readers. Knowing that you're out there really helps, and having my work reviewed and critiqued helps a lot too! ^_~


	6. Chapter Six: Going to Die

Author's Note: Hello everyone. I'm terribly sorry for the long delay. Moving to a new place is always time consuming, but now that I have both free time and a laptop, I'm ready to continue writing. I hope you enjoy this next chapter and I hope it was worth the wait.

Chapter Six: Going to Die

De Garonne cursed as he paced around the cheap, inconspicuous hotel room. He suddenly despised everything about it, from the worn carpet to the faded wallpaper. Despite his best efforts, his mind was racing with torment and self-loathing. He sat down at the edge of the neat and simple bed, feeling like he was going to be sick.

His reactions seemed to be normal, however, considering the magnitude of what he had just lost only moments ago. How was he suppose to complete his objective if the target he was pursuing had possession of his rifle- no, his very livelihood?

"…" De Garonne stared blankly at the wall, and then his cold, dark eyes made their way to his cell phone on the faux-wood table. Taking it in his hands with a sense of determination, he began scrolling through his notes until he found what he was looking for.

"I'll fix this," he said aloud, quietly reassuring himself. While De Garonne hadn't wanted to take this route, the situation had gotten out of hand. He had fled the scene without taking the steps to secure his rifle case, and so he had allowed the target, that Yoshimitsu bastard, to take it all. That was a mistake not even a rookie would make, and although De Garonne was not a seasoned veteran, he certainly considered himself a little more experienced that any other punk with a gun.

De Garonne quickly memorized the apartment address from the notes in his phone and, grabbing what little he had left, he rose to his feet and left that small hotel room for good.

* * *

"You've made a lot of improvement, Master," complimented Harper, just having finished teaching an English lesson to Yoshimitsu for the past hour. "Until tomorrow, then." He bowed to Yoshimitsu, and Yoshimitsu bowed his head in reply.

The two rose from their seats at the long, polished table and made their way out of one of the smaller conference rooms in the Main Building, located at the center of the Manji Clan Complex. Once outside, the two were greeted by the usual movement and clamor that enveloped the complex on a daily basis. Scattered amongst the various stations, political refugees from across the globe were either getting food or medical attention.

Harper quickly went to work and Yoshimitsu proceeded to walk to each station and make an overview of the progress. Just as Yoshimitsu neared the food station, he heard a rather urgent shout come from the direction of the Main Building, and he let out a heavy sigh when he saw the small figure running down the large steps.

"Yoshimitsu!" shouted Xiaoyu, making her way through the crowd. The noon sun was shining brightly, and it put a slight shine in Xiaoyu's dark hair. Her pigtails swung to and fro as she jogged up to Yoshimitsu.

"What is it?" asked Yoshimitsu inquisitively, stepping away from the crowd. He noted how refreshing it was to see someone so out of place as Xiaoyu was in the Manji Clan Complex.

"I got a call from my friend Miharu. She asked me to come over to her place because she has something important to talk to me about," said Xiaoyu, her brows furrowing with worry, "It sounds serious. Do you think I could go back to see her?"

Yoshimitsu thought for a moment and then replied with his deep voice as metallic and unflinching as ever.

"It seems suspicious. Did she sound distressed?"

"Distressed?" asked Xiaoyu, puzzled. "You don't think… You don't think she could be in trouble, do you?" Growing increasingly anxious, Xiaoyu crossed her arms together as if to comfort herself. Her arms looked lean and strong against the soft fabric of her pink, floral print dress. The dress stopped just above her knees, and it looked like it was dancing in the breeze.

Yoshimitsu let out a heavy sigh. Things were getting more and more complicated. He tried to think logically about the possibility of a trap, but instead he found his mind flooded with something else. Something intangible and frustrating. He let his mind go, for an instant, on the idea of Xiaoyu arriving at her friend's place only to be captured and maybe even harmed, and it left a bitter taste in his mouth and a clench in his jaw.

"It doesn't seem right," stated Yoshimitsu, glancing around. The daily operations seemed to be going smoothly, and Kawamitsu hadn't reported any meeting for today. "Well… They need all the trucks for supply distribution, and the helicopter is being worked on, so we'll have to take Gessekai."

"Gessekai?" Xiaoyu asked, a bewildered look on her face.

* * *

"W-Woah!" Xiaoyu shrieked, tightening her grip around Yoshimitsu's waist as the brilliantly white horse they were riding leaped over a fallen log. Gessekai, named for his coat's resemblance of a bright moon, ran quickly though the forest, his hooves beating down on the leaf-covered ground with each pace.

"Yaa!" shouted Yoshimitsu, whipping the reins a little. They continued to make their way down the trail, brushing past branches and shrubs. Yoshimitsu felt enlivened from the exhilaration of the ride, while Xiaoyu could barely keep her eyes open.

Xiaoyu continued to hold on to him tightly, trying not to think of how painful it would be to fall off. As she did, however, she couldn't help but become more and more aware of Yoshimitsu and the energy he seemed to give off. She could sense him under the layers of synthetic fibers and armor. As far as she could tell, there was a beating heart somewhere in there, and there was definitely a shining soul. She could almost feel the muscles in his waist and back moving in sync with the rhythm of Gessekai's gallop. The armored plates covering his mysterious wings felt oddly warm against her cheek. As she sat there, her eyes closed, she could almost hear the inner workings of this strange man, and then all at once they were still.

Xiaoyu opened her eyes and saw that Yoshimitsu had brought Gessekai to a halt. They were nearing the outskirts of the city, and it was here where Yoshimitsu could begin to sense the changing environment as the forest began to merge into suburbia.

"We're going to walk from here," stated Yoshimitsu as he dismounted and began helping Xiaoyu down. He then turned to Gessekai, patting him on the neck, "Go home, Gessekai." With a slap to the rump, Gessekai took off back the way they came, disappearing into the forest.

"He'll know the way back?" asked Xiaoyu, a hint of worry in her voice.

"He'll be fine. He's a smart horse, after all," answered Yoshimitsu. He glanced over at Xiaoyu, and he could tell right away that she wasn't her usual self. "Don't worry, Xiao. I'll get you to your friend Miharu and everything will be alright."

Xiaoyu nodded, showing the glimpse of a smile, and the two continued on.

* * *

After a quick elevator ride and a little lock-picking, de Garonne found himself in the humble apartment of a one Ling Xiaoyu. He stood in the living room with a small flash light in his gloved hand, not wanting to turn the light on for fear of being detected. He quietly made his way through the living room and into her bedroom.

He then made his way to her desk, seeing the photos displayed there, and he looked at each one carefully, making sure not to pick them up. One photo was Ling Xiaoyu and a female classmate- Japanese, from the looks of her. The other photo was Ling Xiaoyu, a male student, and a live panda- more than likely from one of the local zoos. He drew out his cell phone and took pictures of both photos.

De Garonne left the desk and looked at the various picture frames on the walls. Most of them were pictures of beautiful scenery and animals, but a couple of them were awards. He took a step closer to one and saw that she had been presented an award from the Mishima Polytechnical School.

Having already begun to plan his next move, de Garonne made his way to the front door, being sure to lock it on his way out. As he walked down the brightly lit hallway, his mind began to wander. He thought of his own time in school, back at the Collège Privé Notre Dame in Bayonne. Life seemed so simple, then, with nothing for him to worry about except passing his finals and getting back to Tarnos while the surf was still good.

The chime of the elevator brought him back to reality, and he stood there for a few moments, not realizing he had already walked down the hall and pressed the button to go downstairs. He shook his head and stepped into the elevator, taking his place beside a young couple.

They glanced at him for a moment, but then resumed their nonchalant conversation. There was nothing unusual about him, really, in his dark-wash jeans and wine-colored button-up shirt. He could pass for any other foreign tourists spending all their money and time in Tokyo.

Once out of the building, he made his way to the bus stop and took a seat on the bench beside an old woman who was talking on a cell phone. He smiled a little at the contrast, and he quickly went to work looking up the address for the Mishima Polytechnical School.

'Let's see just how loyal Ling Xiaoyu's friends are," he thought, just in time for the bus to pull up and open it's doors in greeting.

* * *

Miharu kicked at a pebble on the sidewalk and looked down at her wrist watch. The weekend lab she had been assigned to do went by as it usually did: boring and uneventful. Now all that was left for her to do was to wait for the bus to come pick her up and take her back to her apartment so that she could try to enjoy what little weekend time she had left.

'I haven't heard from Xiao all day,' thought Miharu, 'I wonder what she's up to.' Just then, a bus pulled up across the street, and Miharu watched casually as a foreigner in a dark red shirt stepped out of the bus.

She didn't think it was too odd when the stranger glanced at her and then pulled out his cell phone. It's natural to glance at others and he was probably just checking the time. But then she did begin to take more interest when he looked back up at her and immediately looked back down at his phone.

Miharu took her eyes away, hoping the bus would hurry up. It was then that bitter worry began to fill her throat when the stranger started to cross the street. It was later in the day, and there were a few people out, but there weren't many cars around and it was getting darker.

'He's just going to transfer on to the next bus on this line,' she assured herself as she tried not to shiver, 'That must be it.'

* * *

"P-Please let me go!" shouted Miharu, looking up at the stranger. He had gotten on the same bus she had, just as Miharu had told herself he would. But it didn't take much for him to follow her to her apartment building. He now had her outside in the neighboring alley way, crouched down beside a dumpster so that no one could see or hear her unless they venture deep into the alley.

"Look, little girl, I already told you that I'm not going to hurt you," responded de Garonne, with genuine honesty in his voice, "I just need you to call your friend Ling Xiaoyu. Just tell her that you want to talk to her. That's it. Do that and I'll let you go, but don't you even think about running to the authorities about this. You don't want your friend Ms. Ling to get hurt, do you?"

Miharu stifled a cry, trying to keep her hands from shaking as fumbled for her cell phone. With the press of a few buttons, the phone was ringing as she waited for Xiaoyu to pick up, her heart racing.

"X-Xiaoyu? It's me. Miharu. Yeah, I'm fine, I'm fine. Look, I… I need to talk to you… No, nothing's wrong. I just need to talk to you… As soon as you can… Where?" Miharu's eyes shot up at de Garonne, wide with fear. He let out a frustrated sigh and motioned towards the apartment building with his handgun. "M-My place! Yes, meet me at my place… Please hurry." As soon as she hung up, de Garonne snatched the phone from her hands.

"…!" Miharu tried to reach for it, but the stranger had stepped back, pointing the gun at her.

"Now," he began, his voice solid and dark, "Get up. We're going upstairs to your apartment, and we're going to wait for her."

Miharu's eyes grew wider and she couldn't hold back a terrified whimper at the idea of this dangerous man coming into her apartment with the two of them alone. Her eyes began to well up with tears, and all at once de Garonne wished she wouldn't look at him like that.

At gun point, Miharu had led him quietly to her apartment on the 8th floor. Once inside, he instructed her to sit on the couch while he stood at the window, occasionally glancing out to see if Xiaoyu had arrived. Miharu, while not completely regaining her sense of ease, was at least a little relieved to see that he more than likely wasn't going to hurt her. At least not yet.

* * *

The city bus finally came to a stop half a block away from the apartment building. Ignoring the curious glances from the few passengers, Yoshimitsu and Xiaoyu rose and stepped out of the bus. Yoshimitsu noted how late it was and how few people were outside in this area. There was a rather large park nearby, and a little area for merchant stands and the like, but aside from that it was just old apartment buildings.

Xiaoyu took no time in rushing down the street to the apartment building. She glanced up at the window she knew to be Miharu's, and she could see the lights on.

Meanwhile, de Garonne, remembering the last time he was too close to the window, stood at a safe enough distance so that he could peek through the blinds and not be seen. His heart skipped a beat when he saw Xiaoyu making her way down the street, and he gritted his teeth at the sight of Yoshimitsu, his grotesque suit of armor reflecting the street lights below.

Quickly, de Garonne pointed his handgun at Miharu. "Call her!" he ordered, "Call her and tell her to come up alone."

Hearing her phone go off with the custom ring tone she had set for her best friend, Xiaoyu quickly answered the call, looking up at the window.

"Miharu? I'm right outside! Are you okay?" There was a momentary pause. "… The other person with me? Yoshimitsu… Oh… Really? … Miharu, I really don't think- Okay, okay! Please, don't worry. I'll be right there." She hung up and looked back at Yoshimitsu. "Look, Yoshimitsu, she says that she wants me to come up alone. She says that she doesn't want you to be there. I think it would make her embarrassed."

"That's ridiculous," stated Yoshimitsu, bluntly, "Xiaoyu, something is going on, and I know you're young, but you're not an idiot."

"Look, I have to get up there, okay?!" replied Xiaoyu, turning to make her way into the apartment building.

Yoshimitsu stood outside, trying not to get too frustrated. This sort of female drama was not something he was prepared to deal with, and there was this alarming sense that something was terribly wrong. With resolve, he pulled open one of the glass double doors and followed after Xiaoyu, who was waiting by an elevator.

"I'll wait in the hall," stated Yoshimitsu, before Xiaoyu had time to protest. Xiaoyu's brows furrowed with contempt as they both stepped into the elevator.

"You're worrying too much," said Xiaoyu, the same way a child would say something that they viewed as painfully obvious, "She probably just has some girl problems or guy trouble."

"I know you don't think that," said Yoshimitsu, looking over at his new friend, whom was growing increasingly irritating in his eyes, "You wouldn't have asked me to take you all the way back to the city if it was something as petty as girl problems. You're just as suspicious about it as I am."

Xiaoyu knew he was right, but that only strengthened her resolve to disagree.

"You don't know anything about it. Just let me handle this, okay?" Xiaoyu quickly stepped out of the elevator once it opened it's door to the 8th floor. Yoshimitsu followed slowly, internally scolding himself for putting up with such nonsense.

Once at the right door, Xiaoyu knocked loudly, biting her lower lip in anticipation. Yoshimitsu saw the door open and then saw Xiaoyu disappear into the apartment. He took a few steps closer to the door, tuning his ears in to try to hear what was going on.

"Miharu, what's wrong?" asked Xiaoyu, as she followed her friend through the living room and down the hallway. "Miharu?"

Just as they entered the small bedroom, Xiaoyu was taken by surprise when de Garonne leaped out from behind the door, covering Xiaoyu's mouth with his hand and holding the gun up to her cheek. He glance back at Miharu with a look of warning.

"Scream and she dies."

"X-Xiaoyu, I'm so sorry!" pleaded Miharu, overwhelmed and stressed, "Please, don't hurt her! What do you want? Just let us go!"

"Quiet!" snapped de Garonne, pushing the handgun more into Xiaoyu's cheek. Xiaoyu glared at her captor from her place up against the wall, being careful not to make a sudden move.

Trying to block out his conscience, de Garonne pulled Xiaoyu away from the wall and spun her around, taking her hands behind her back with one hand while the other kept the gun trained on the back of her head.

"Now, Ms. Hirano, lead the way. We're going into the living room. And remember, not a single sound."

They made their way down the hall and quietly got down on their knees with de Garonne standing behind them. Then, breaking the silence, de Garonne called out, the anger apparent in his voice.

"Yoshimitsu!"

'Damn it,' thought Yoshimitsu, reaching to open the door. He cursed under his breath at seeing that it was locked.

"Jean-Luc De Garonne, is that you, you vile wretch?!" replied Yoshimitsu, preparing himself to bust the door down. De Garonne cringed at the sound of the name his father gave him.

"I have these two brats in here, and don't think I'm not ready to kill them! You have something that belongs to me and I want it back! Now!"

"You're the fool who left it behind!" shouted Yoshimitsu, trying to see how far he could push this assassin.

"Damn it, you _putasemea, _don't fucking try me! I'll shoot this _zulo_ in the head!" threatened de Garonne as he pressed the gun up to Xiaoyu's head.

Xiaoyu, after waiting for de Garonne to step in close enough, suddenly sprung into action and did a sweeping kick, knocking de Garonne off his feet. Xiaoyu and Miharu both jumped to their feet as de Garonne quickly recovered from the surprise blow.

Adrenaline rushing, de Garonne aimed at Xiaoyu and put his hand on the trigger, not willing to risk going any further with this. Time seemed to slow down and Xiaoyu let out a scream, shouting the first thing that came to her mind.

"YOSHIMITSU!"

In an instant, the door shattered to pieces and Yoshimitsu charged through, blade ready. He slashed at de Garonne, who tried to dodge out of the way. He managed to cut de Garonne on his arm, who screamed out in pain. Yoshimitsu then kicked the gun out of his hand and followed through with another kick to the head, which knocked de Garonne over. However, much to Yoshimitsu's surprise, de Garonne seemed to roll with the kick and he flipped back up on his feet.

Yoshimitsu then rushed in for another attack, kicking at de Garonne a second time. De Garonne did a back flip, landing on a coffee table in the corner. Yoshimitsu slashed at him with his sword, but de Garonne dodged and leaped out at Yoshimitsu, tackling him to the floor. Yoshimitsu's sword went flying, landing across the room from where the two girls crouched hiding in the corner. The room was much too small for Xiaoyu to help Yoshimitsu by joining the fight, and it seemed safer to hide than to risk being sliced in half by the Manji leader's sword.

The two men were ground fighting now, going back and forth through a series of grapples. Yoshimitsu was skilled, of course, but de Garonne was surprisingly nimble and acrobatic. He seemed to be able to slip out of any grab Yoshimitsu put him in, and it didn't take long for him to get up on his feet. As Yoshimitsu rose, de Garonne kicked him in the head and took off out the door.

"Fuck!" cursed Yoshimitsu, trying to shake off the pounding pain in his head as he rose and pursued the fleeing assassin. "Wait here!" he shouted back at Xiaoyu, who had picked up Yoshimitsu's sword from the corner. She tossed it at him and, after catching it in his cybernetic left hand, he took off.

De Garonne ran down the apartment hallway as fast as he legs could carry him. A feeling of utter despair was traversing his entire body, having yet again failed. Knowing the elevator was out of the question, de Garonne rushed into the stairwell, practically jumping down each short flight of stairs. Once they reached the last one, Yoshimitsu leaped forward and crashed into de Garonne, causing both of them to tumble down and violently collide with the metal door at the foot of the stairs.

Wasting no time, Yoshimitsu pushed de Garonne onto his stomach and, taking one of the assassin's thrashing arms, quickly pulled it back and broke it at the elbow. De Garonne let out a blood-curdling scream, too distracted by the pain to fight back. The two stumbled out of the stairwell and into the lobby, startling a few apartment residents who were making their way through the lobby. Yoshimitsu dragged the wounded assassin outside and then took off into the air.

De Garonne wanted to vomit from the sudden thrust into the sky, and the only comfort he found was when his feet found the sturdy cement of a building rooftop. However, his comfort was short lived as Yoshimitsu struck him across the head with the hilt of his sword. De Garonne crumpled to the floor, now too weak to fight back.

'This is it,' the young assassin thought, 'This is when I'm going to die. This demon is going to kill me.'

However, the violent end never came, and de Garonne was left to look up at his opponent, who was standing over him with his sword bared.

"Who hired you?" asked the deep, metallic voice.

De Garonne summoned his last bit of energy and, scrambling to his feet, punched Yoshimitsu across the face of his mask and turned to run away. However, Yoshimitsu quickly grabbed his shoulders and threw him to the side, causing him to land on his injured arm. Another cry of pain and de Garonne was back on the floor. Only this time, when he looked up at the demonic cyborg, he saw blood across his skeletal mask. Not Yoshimitsu's blood, of course, but blood from his torn knuckles. Yoshimitsu stepped down on de Garonne's arm, the wings of his beetle suit fluttering open with frustration.

"Tell me who hired you!" Yoshimitsu's voice was like darkness itself, reaching a new level of bitterness.

"_Pikutara joan, kabroi!_" spat back de Garonne, groaning in pain from the weight of Yoshimitsu's foot on his elbow.

"You're working for them, aren't you?! You're working for the same bastards who're after Kunimitsu!" he leaned down and punched de Garonne in the stomach. De Garonne coughed and gasped in reply, trying not to show the fact that the name Kunimitsu was one he was very well aware of.

"_Z-Zure ama emagaldua da! _I don't know what you're talking about, damn it!" he spat at Yoshimitsu's feet and tried once again to stand up. Just as Yoshimitsu was about to kick him in the head, the two were blinded by a searchlight. A police helicopter then came into view, having been called to respond to a severe disturbance.

Yoshimitsu cursed under his breath and, ignoring the voice over the loudspeaker, reached down and yanked de Garonne to his feet. Taking the assassin by the waist of his jeans and the shoulder of his shirt, Yoshimitsu leaped from the rooftop and took off into the sky.

Normally, Yoshimitsu would have no problem out-flying a police helicopter, but with the added weight, this proved to be a challenge.

* * *

"No, I'm fine," assured Yoshimitsu, holding the satellite phone up with one hand while leaning against the stainless steel lab table with the other, "And we have that assassin detained here, so he won't be a problem for you."

"Good, I was worried!" exclaimed Xiaoyu, "Next time don't go taking off like that without letting me in on it! I heard police sirens and a helicopter and I thought they bagged you for sure!" She glanced over at the blinking digital clock in her small apartment living room. It felt good to be back home.

"What? The police catch _me?_ No way!" he looked over at Yuromitsu, who continued his tireless work with Dr. Bosconovich to try to identify the manufacturer of the viral darts. "Oh, Xiao, how's your friend?"

"Miharu? She's fine. A bit shaken up, but she's already talked to the police and she's here with me. I figured she'd feel better if she stayed at my place tonight."

"Good… Xiao…" he paused for a moment, trying to collect his thoughts before he said something stupid, "Next time, try to listen to me more, okay? I don't want to say I told you so, but… You definitely owe me those dumplings now." Remembering that night at the dumpling stand, Xiaoyu laughed and nodded.

"You bet. We'll make it tomorrow. I only have classes in the morning tomorrow, so we can go during lunch." Yoshimitsu bit his lip behind his mask, already asking himself why he would say something like that.

"Alright then. See you tomorrow." He hung up and turned to see Hiyamitsu standing there, her arms crossed and a smirk on her face. She raised an eyebrow at him and, crossing her cybernetic leg in front of her other regular leg, she leaned against the table.

"Who was that, Master? You seemed… concerned." Hiyamitsu had always been able to sense things about her leader that the other clan members couldn't. Her recently obtained cybernetic leg, however, brought her even closer to Yoshimitsu, and now the beautiful kunoichi was even more comfortable and confident around her leader.

"You know who that was, Hiyamitsu. And don't give me any of that right now." Yoshimitsu let out a sigh as he placed the satellite phone down on the table. He glanced at Dr. Bosconovich and Yuromitsu, suspecting that they were not only listening in on what Hiyamitsu was saying, but that they also shared some of her sentiments.

'At least the men have the sense to not bother me about it,' he thought to himself, cursing his susceptibility to feminine wiles.

Yoshimitsu began to walk out of the lab, passing through the sliding doors until he was outside and on the path towards the main complex. Hiyamitsu was hot on his heels, walking as gracefully as she ever did.

"It's good to see you acting your age for once, Master," stated Hiyamitsu. He knew that she no longer called him Master with the same austerity as she did before, but merely placed it in her dialogue occasionally on account of protocol.

"What are you talking about? I'm an old man," replied Yoshimitsu, shrugging his shoulders and quickening his pace as if you drive home his point.

"Oh nonsense, you're young in body and in spirit. And this little Chinese fighter has you off on another grand adventure, doesn't she?"

"All of this isn't because of her. It's because of that syndicate and Kunimitsu."

"Oh sure, Master, that's the adventure part, but what makes it grand is-" She stopped in her tracks as Yoshimitsu spun around, pointing a finger at her. She thought he looked wonderfully bizarre in his beetle suit, standing there pointing like any regular person.

"Look, Hiyamitsu, you've been out of line lately, and I know you've made remarkable progress on your physical therapy, but don't think that you can just act as you please because I've spent more time with you to help you through that." Even Yoshimitsu could hear the lack of firmness in his voice.

Hiyamitsu smiled, knowing she could get away with it, and took Yoshimitsu's hand in both of hers. Yoshimitsu, secretly smiling, turned his hand over so that he was holding one of her's like a gentlemen would hold a lady's hand while helping her step out of a carriage. He smiled again, knowing that even though she couldn't see it, Hiyamitsu already knew he was smiling. She could sense it somehow; the two had been dancing around this unspoken bond for months.

"Master… Yoshimitsu," she began, taking the liberty to daringly address him by his name, "Just don't lose sight of your goal. Don't get side-tracked."

Yoshimitsu, giving in, nodded in agreement. Kunimitsu was still out there somewhere, and he was still as determined as ever to find her.

* * *

Author's Note: Ahh… It feels good to finally finish an update to the story. I'll be sure to keep 'em coming, so please continue to read and review. Thanks! ^_^


	7. Chapter Seven: Real Danger

Author's Note: I tried to get this latest installment out as soon as possible to try to make up for the long wait for the previous one. Enjoy. ^_^

Chapter Seven: Real Danger

"_Mikel! I'll race you to the shore!" She smiled, and it was like he was looking at an angel. She looked so at home in the salty water, her eyes narrowing beautifully from the bright sun. She laughed and, like a goddess of the sea, gracefully began to paddle her surfboard towards the shore._

_Mikel de Garonne took in a deep breath, trying to capture this perfect moment. The surf was great today, and he couldn't think of anything else he'd rather be doing. He then pulled himself up on his board, having just finished riding their last wave of the day._

_Once ashore, the two decided to relax on a sand dune, content to let the sun dry them. Mikel was lying with his hands underneath his head, and beautiful Itsaso rested her head on his chest, both looking up at the few clouds._

_Itsaso turned onto her side slightly and looked at him, her eyes questioning._

"_Mikel… So… You're serious about leaving the Collège Privé Notre Dame? You're really going overseas, to Japan?"_

_He nodded solemnly, finding it hard to look at her._

"_I can't stay here anymore, Itsaso. It's my damn father," he sat up, causing her to do the same, "He's pressuring me into taking up… his line of work. I want to stay. Really, I do. But you know how my father is." As he said it, Mikel wished that his father, a stubborn man from Paris, knew just how content of a life he was living in Tarnos. Why would anyone want to leave or make anyone else suffer through leaving the place he loved?_

_Itsaso looked down at the sand as she played with a few nearby shells, turning them over in her fingers._

"_I'll miss you… But don't worry," she said, smiling, "You can visit, right? We'll stay in touch, won't we?"_

"_I promise." Just as he was about to reach to caress her face, a burning pain shot through his arm. He shot up to his feet, trying to see what was causing him such agony. As he stood up, however, the world around him became a blur. Itsaso disappeared into memory and as he groped his throbbing arm, the sand and sea disappeared as well._

De Garonne lurched up in the small bed he had been placed in. He found himself in a small, stark room with no more than a bed and a table with two chairs. His arm, which must have been treated during his lapse of unconsciousness, was in a sling and a temporary cast. He had plenty of blankets, he noticed, and despite the rooms Spartan look, it was very clean and comfortable. However, he made sure to keep in mind that it was still a holding cell. He remembered being captured by Yoshimitsu, and he couldn't help but remember what he had done to his arm.

Almost as soon as he was on his feet, two Manji ninja walked into the room, closing the door behind them. De Garonne warily took a step back. He could clearly see that neither of these two men were Yoshimitsu, but he wasn't about to put his guard down. It wasn't until then that de Garonne saw that they had food and water for him.

"This is for you. Eat it all." They placed it on the table and left promptly. They didn't have to tell him twice, de Garonne realized, being that he hadn't eaten in quite some time. He didn't care if it was drugged, even, as he sat down and quickly started eating the plain meal of rice and some sort of bean curd. The water wasn't cold, but who cared at that point?

Once finished, he knew that it would be no time at all until they came in to have a "talk" with him, and he wanted to have enough energy to make it through such an ordeal.

* * *

Kawamitsu let out an exasperated sigh, having finished doing his inventory check. There wasn't much left for them for the week, and the next supply wasn't to be expected for more than half a month.

Making the last few marks on his clipboard, he set it aside on the table he was working at, being shaded from the sun by a portable awning. Most of the refugees had returned to their living quarters, except a few stragglers who were making conversation with the Manji Clan members.

"You look stressed," stated Hakujitsu, a bright young boy who had been living on the Manji Complex for a few years now, "Is everything okay Mr. Hiroyuki?"

Kawamitsu smiled, not having heard that name in a while.

"Yeah, everything's fine. The usual, you know… Hey, Haku, have you seen Hiyamitsu anywhere?" he asked as he turned to the boy.

"Hiyamitsu? Last I saw her she was talking with Yoshimitsu. I think they were talking about her leg or something."

"I see. Thanks, kid." He patted the boy on the head and left for the day, retreating to the Main Building. Once inside the large, traditional style building, he found Hiyamitsu in her room, sitting by the low table in the center.

"Hi," greeted Kawamitsu, entering the familiar room, "I haven't seen you in a while, it seems. Been busy? Are you doing alright? I've missed your company."

"I've been fine," answered Hiyamitsu, looking over an astrology book she had been browsing through the past couple of days, "Why? Do you need something?"

"What?" he asked, perplexed at her business-like attitude, "No, I just… Kitsune, you've been different lately. You haven't… We haven't been spending a lot of time together lately. I know we're all busy, but that never got in our way before. We don't even eat together anymore."

She closed the book and looked up at him, an almost bored look on her face.

"You're making something out of nothing, Hiro. I've just been busy thinking… Aren't you concerned about Yoshimitsu? He's been trying to look for Kunimitsu for a while, but now he has that… _girl_ to look after. It's bad enough that he had a pesky assassin after him."

"…" Kawamitsu sat down next to her, placing a hand on her knee, "… Yoshimitsu? He's fine, Kitsu. And Ling Xiaoyu is a friend of his. She's a skilled fighter, so it's not like she's completely helpless.

"She's taking up his time," she said firmly, a hint of bitterness in her voice. She then rose to her feet, in turn forcing Kawamitsu's hand off of her.

Kawamitsu let out a sigh, growing more and more frustrated. He didn't want to admit it, but he knew inside that she had little to no interest in him anymore. He knew that her surgery for her new leg had more than a little to do with it, but that didn't make it any easier to accept. Also, in the back of his mind, he knew that she was different in terms of how she viewed her place in the Manji Clan. She was a great woman, he knew, but now things were different. Her concern for Yoshimitsu wasn't a surprise. Her robotic leg made her more like him. More like him. Like him. She likes _him._

Kawamitsu shook his head, trying to forget his momentary lapse into absurdity.

"Well… I'm sure this won't last for long," he began, rising to his feet as well, "I guess I'll… see you around then." He turned to leave, but Hiyamitsu grabbed his arm. She then pulled him close and embraced him like she used to, smiling.

"I'm sorry, Hiro. I'll cheer up soon, and things will be fine."

* * *

Xiaoyu could barely contain herself. The two had gone back to that same dumpling and noodle stand they had previous visited, only this time there was no threat of assassination and nothing to get in the way of Xiaoyu enjoying the feast of a lifetime.

"You sure ordered a lot," commented Yoshimitsu, plucking up a dumpling with his chopsticks and dipping it into the dark, salty sauce.

"That better not be complaining I hear," chirped Xiaoyu, her face beaming as she tried to decide which one to eat first, "It's all coming out of my pocket after all." She finally decided on a rather large, scrumptious-looking dumpling, and as she munched on it, she glanced over at Yoshimitsu, casually at first, but then her gaze grew more focused.

He had decided to shed his usual suit of armor and instead took on a more civilian look for their trip to the market district. He was still wearing an oni mask, this one having red eyes and long fangs, but the rest of his attire was nothing out of the ordinary. He wore a dark, hooded jacket which was made out of a thick, canvas like material, a pair of sand-blasted denim jeans, and lightweight biker boots. It was almost funny to see the mask peering out from underneath the hood, and she could see the small glimpse of his neck, noticing how the muscles in his throat moved as he swallowed the food. It still amazed her that there had always been this person under all of that unusual armor- a person with flesh and blood and, yet, something more. Something inhuman,- no, superhuman.

Yoshimitsu could feel her gaze on him, and turning to look at her, his optical HUD focused on her. There was always so much going on that he hadn't really noticed when he didn't have this new cybernetic sight. His vision was all red, but that didn't seem to matter. Everything about her was colorful.

He coughed, pretending to clear his throat.

"So, umm… Thank you, for the dinner."

"You're not done already, are you?! You only had one!"

"Oh, no, I'm just saying thank you. Thank you, and not just for the food, but… You see, I…" He wasn't quite sure how to say it. Xiaoyu smirked at his attempt and, holding back a giggle, decided to say it for him.

"Yoshi, I'm glad we've become friends. You're a lot of fun! Spending time with you, even if it's life threatening- especially if it's life threatening- has been the most exciting thing I've done since the last King of Iron Fist tournament!"

Yoshimitsu looked at her for a moment and then nodded, returning to the dumplings. When things were simple with Xiaoyu, things were great. It was only frustrating when things got confusing, so this moment was just fine to enjoy for as long as possible.

"Hey, Yoshi?" asked Xiaoyu, reaching for another dumpling, "I haven't asked you about it because I didn't want to be rude, but… What's it like, being what you are?" Yoshimitsu looked over at her, lifting up his mask slightly. She could see his chin and his very human lips as he popped the next dumpling in his mouth, quickly returning the mask to fully cover his face.

"Well, what am I?" he asked her in reply, eager to hear what she had to say. He decided not to be self-analyzing about why he cared so much about her opinion of him. Underneath his calm exterior, he was sitting on the edge of his seat, and that was just something he would have to accept.

"Well," began Xiaoyu, thoughtfully, "I suppose you're… Well, you're a cyborg, right? That's two different worlds. You're obviously human, but I've seen the sort of things you can do. Especially that arm of yours." Her eyes narrowed and she shot him a mischievous glance. "You know, sometimes, I think that if they made it illegal for you to have your sword in the tournament, you wouldn't fare so well at all."

"Oh really?" he asked, incredulously, "Sword or no sword, I could still defeat you, Xiao, even back when I wasn't a cyborg and didn't have this robotic arm of mine."

"You're lucky we have these delicious dumplings to attend to. Otherwise, I'd challenge you to a fight right now!" she declared, scarfing down a few more dumplings, "By the way, Yoshimitsu, when did you, um, change?"

He paused a moment and then answered, "A while ago. A long while ago." He set his chopsticks down and gazed off into his past, "I was young…" He chuckled. "And boy, was I stupid sometimes. The things we did… We must have figured we were invincible."

"We?" asked Xiaoyu, taking a drink of water.

"Kunimitsu and I," answered Yoshimitsu, who was then suddenly brought back to reality.

Xiaoyu noticed his suddenly somber tone, and so she quickly pressed the conversation forward.

"Well, what's it like? Does it feel cool?" she asked quickly, continuing to eat. She noticed that he hadn't eaten anymore dumplings, so she plucked one up and set it in front of him. He casually picked the dumpling up, thinking about her question as he lifted his mask and placed the dumpling in his mouth.

"It's like waking up in a hospital after any other surgery, I guess. Only with this one, you feel like you've woken up in the body of someone else. It looks like yours, but it doesn't feel the same. I mean, it's nice to have improved abilities, but it's been so long that I hardly notice the difference now, and I'm far from perfect."

"Do you age normally?" she asked, growing more and more curious.

"Well," he began, trying his hardest to give her the best answers he could to something he still didn't quite understand completely, "I'm not sure. I know a long time has gone by. I can feel it, but I don't really feel any older than I was before the surgery."

Xiaoyu wanted to follow on with more questions- the questions she was the most inquisitive about, such as 'How old were you?' and 'What do you look like?' However, she decided against it. The more she thought about it, the more she felt as if she already knew the answers. He would probably live forever, stuck in that same age, and he would probably look the same forever, and that was okay.

"Hey look," she mused, pointing with her chopsticks, "There's only five left." Yoshimitsu looked down at the dumplings, biting his lip.

"You can have the odd one out."

Meanwhile, a young college student was making his way through the crowd, hoping to get something tasty to eat on his way to his apartment so that he could have brain food for what looked to be a long night of serious study.

"…!" The young man stopped in his tracks at catching a glimpse of Ling Xiaoyu at a noodle bar, "Hey Xiaoyu! Ling Xiaoyu!" he called out, waving his hand. He remembered the last time he had asked her out, but maybe his luck would be better now that Miharu wasn't around.

Xiaoyu looked over her shoulder in the direction of the calling voice and smiled, waving, "Oh! Hi Chiteki! Come on over!"

"Hm?" asked Yoshimitsu, puzzled. The dumpling stand that the two were sitting at had the typical strips of cloth hanging from its small roof to give the illusion of an enclosed space, and this was obstructing Yoshimitsu's line of sight. So, upon lifting the wide strip of dyed cloth, Yoshimitsu poked his head out and looked over at the boy. The name Chiteki sounded oddly familiar.

At first, Chiteki thought Yoshimitsu was just a regular guy sitting with Xiaoyu, but upon a closer look, he saw the distinct oni mask and all at once knew who he was. The two stared at each other for only a moment, but it didn't take long for memories of their first encounter in Chiteki's apartment so many months ago to come back to them.

"S-See you later, Xiaoyu!" called out Chiteki, as he quickly turned around and took off.

"Wait!" demanded Yoshimitsu, who quickly bounded from his seat and, even without the aid of his beetle suit's wings, was able to catch the college kid by the collar of his shirt in just a few steps. "I remember you! You're that kid Kunimitsu brought me to when I was shot with that dart!"

"L-Look, this isn't a good idea. I have to get out of here!" Chiteki began to struggle and, not wanting to attract the attention of all the pedestrians, Yoshimitsu loosened his grip, but he turned Chiteki to face him.

"Wait, Chiteki, is it? Look, I know you've already helped me before, and I'm forever grateful, but I need your help once more. Just a few questions and we're done."

Xiaoyu, confused, placed some money on the counter and forgot about the rest of the dumplings. She stepped closer to the two, a bewildered look on her face.

"How do you two know each other?" she asked, looking back and forth at them.

"That was a while ago. A long while ago!" stammered Chiteki, "Nothing against you, cyborg, but things have changed. I can't be seen with you or my uncle's going to-" He choked off that last bit, unable to believe he could slip up so easily.

"Your uncle? Who's your uncle?" Chiteki tried to move away, but Yoshimitsu held fast to his shirt.

"No one. Now let me go or I'm calling the cops!"

Yoshimitsu, sighing, glanced around at the many pedestrians and then back at Chiteki.

"Okay, okay, but just one more question. Kunimitsu. Where is she?"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" There was the line, and Chiteki had crossed it. Yoshimitsu's grip became fierce and he had to restrain himself from lifting Chiteki off his feet.

"Listen, boy," began Yoshimitsu, in a tone that was dark enough to not require any physical threat at all, "I owe that woman a hell of a lot more than I owe you, and she's in danger. Real danger. Now if you know something that could help me find her, and you don't tell me, I _will_ make you regret it and I will _not_ have a problem doing so, despite what you've done for me in the past."

"… Okay, okay," surrendered Chiteki, freeing himself from Yoshimitsu's grip. "But you can't let anyone know that I told you this." He looked around, terrified that someone might be watching him, "The rumor is that she's in hiding. She owes… some syndicate a lot of money, and they've hired an assassin to track her down and kill her-"

"And what about your uncle?" interrupted Yoshimitsu, trying to exploit that as much as possible. Chiteki closed his eyes, glaring at himself for that one.

"My uncle, he… He works for them. He's not a field agent, he-"

"He's higher up on the ladder!" added Xiaoyu, hoping to guess right.

"… Yeah." Chiteki looked down in shame, and then looked up at Yoshimitsu. "Please, whatever you do, don't bring me and my uncle any trouble. Sure, he's kind of scummy, but he's the only real family I have."

Yoshimitsu was quiet for a long time, and then he nodded.

"Thank you. I just want to find Kunimitsu and stop the people who are trying to kill her. If I can do that without harming your uncle, then I will. But if not… that sort of thing is to be expected in your uncle's line of work." He turned to leave, heading in the direction of his parked bike, a newer one since the last one was trashed.

"I'm sorry, Chiteki. I'll do all I can to help you, okay?" assured Xiaoyu, as she followed after Yoshimitsu.

Chiteki turned and continued on his way to his apartment, forgetting all about getting something to eat. The heavy feeling of despair in his stomach left no room for food.

* * *

"You're not really going to hurt his uncle, are you?" asked Xiaoyu, taking advantage of their time waiting at the stoplight to talk to Yoshimitsu without the roar of the bike's engine drowning out the sound of her voice.

"Xiao, I have to stay focused on what I started out for. I need to find Kunimitsu."

"But why?" asked Xiaoyu, pleadingly, "Who is she? Why's she so important?"

The light turned blue and, revving the throttle, Yoshimitsu urged the bike forward. Xiaoyu held on tightly until their next stoplight.

"Xiaoyu, I'm not heartless. Believe me, I've given my fair share of second chances. I don't want to kill that boy's uncle, but if I have to sacrifice that to find Kunimitsu, I will. Please, don't question it, okay?" Blue appeared again, and the two sped off down the road, making their exit onto the highway.

Xiaoyu held on even tighter now, trying to feel as safe as she could in her helmet. What she didn't admit to herself, however, was that she was getting more and more used to this, and she wasn't really all that afraid anymore. Yoshimitsu could feel her grip around his waist tighten, but he didn't really care to find a reason to ask her to stop.

The two proceeded to travel towards the Manji Clan Base, and Yoshimitsu was already making mental preparations for the clan's next big mission.

* * *

She tried her best to calm her breathing as she crouched behind a yellow compact car. They were starting to catch up to her now, more and more each day, and she feared that soon they would be certain they had found her. She didn't have much time, so she looked around the parking garage, looking for any sort of exit out of this underground cement labyrinth.

Taking a chance, she quietly made her way in between cars, careful to remain crouched over. She could see the dim glow of twilight spilling into the entrance of the parking garage, casting a golden hue onto the cement walls. That looked like her only escape.

Taking in a deep breath, she bolted forward like a spring and sprinted to the entrance of the parking garage. She could hear shouts behind her and the sound of gunshots, but she continued to sprint down the sidewalk.

* * *

Yoshimitsu saw that they were going to be passing through Chofu, where there was currently a lot of construction work. That resulted in Yoshimitsu and Xiaoyu being forced to take a detour through the downtown area. Hoping it wouldn't take too long, Yoshimitsu pressed on, weaving his way in and out of traffic.

Yoshimitsu made a turn onto Koshu Street, and as they continued on, Xiaoyu spotted something odd. There was a woman running down the sidewalk, and she seemed to be in the kind of hurry that was much more urgent than as if she was running late for a meeting. She looked like she was running for her life.

They passed the woman and Xiaoyu, not too worried at this point about being rude, continued to stare back at the her. Just when she was about to break her gaze away, she saw two men in typical suits appear out of the alley. One pointed in the woman's direction and, as far as Xiaoyu could tell, they both started chasing after her.

"Yoshimitsu, pull over! There's a woman over there being chased! She might need help!"

Yoshimitsu glance over his shoulder and screeched to a halt, sliding into a small spot on the side of the street. They both dismounted the bike and looked back in the direction of the chase. Xiaoyu was surprised to see that the woman had somehow disappeared, but the two suits were still there.

Yoshimitsu made eye contact with them and, somehow, he knew what kind of men they were. He pulled his sword from its sheath on the bike and, running towards the two men, shouted back at Xiaoyu, "Watch the bike!"

"Yeah right!" retorted Xiaoyu, following him closely.

The two men, at first puzzled by the charging strangers, finally recognized Yoshimitsu's demonic mask and they drew their handguns. Normally, Yoshimitsu would have kept charging and would have had no problem disposing of them, but he was all too aware of how dangerous with situation was for Xiaoyu.

So, he dashed to the right, avoiding the first gunshot that was fired. Then, he leaped in front of Xiaoyu and prepared for the worst. Xiaoyu couldn't help but let out a scream as she saw the whole brutal process unfold. The shot was fired, and in a fraction of a second, it hit Yoshimitsu square in the chest. She heard his deep voice cry out from the force of the blow, and she saw him fall backwards, landing hard on the sidewalk.

The people in the surrounding area all scattered at the sound of the gunshots, and Xiaoyu knew that if she hesitated now, she'd be dead. And so, without missing a beat, she rushed forward to the first assailant. Just as he was about to fire, she dove down into a sweeping kick and knocked him down. Then, as soon as she was upright she charged the other assailant, which put her in too close of a proximity for gunfire. He took a swing at her, but before his fist traveled even half the distance of a full swing, she ducked down, her arms sweeping like a fan, and she came back up with enough force behind her small fists to knock him off his feet. Once she was sure the two thugs were unconscious, she rushed back to Yoshimitsu, her heart racing.

She knelt beside him as his hands found the zipper of his jacket. Xiaoyu, expecting blood, was surprised to only see a clean bullet hole in the thick fabric. Her eyes grew wider still when she saw Yoshimitsu sit up, shedding himself of the jacket altogether.

Yoshimitsu looked down to see the bullet crushed in the dense, scaly material that made up his state-of-the-art bulletproof vest. A single scale had taken the brunt of the force from the bullet, falling off like a snake shedding skin.

"Are you alright?" he asked her, his voice teaming with concern.

"…" Xiaoyu let out a scream and hit him across the head, "Don't scare me!"

Yoshimitsu then stood and pulled Xiaoyu to her feet.

"Hurry. We have to get out of here fast," he said, practically dragging her to the bike. Xiaoyu couldn't help but stare at him, this being the most she'd ever seen of him. The bulletproof vest covered his entire torso, but it stopped at his shoulders, leaving his arms fully exposed except for the biker glove on each hand. She noticed how normal his right arm looked when compared to his left, which was mostly a compilation of various moving, metallic parts. There were so many she could hardly see how it worked. And again, she noticed his brilliantly bright red hair, which was tied up, leaving a few strands hanging down around the face of his mask.

Just as they were nearing the bike, Yoshimitsu picked something up on his sensors and, turning around, he saw one of the thugs struggle to his feet, aiming his gun at them. Yoshimitsu, preparing himself to yet again act as a human shield, was a bit taken off guard when he saw a figure leap from the first floor window of the adjacent building. The figure landed on the thug, thrusting something slender and shining into him, and there was a violent spurt of blood as their assailant crumpled to the ground for good.

The figure, who was dressed fairly normal, rose to her feet and turned to face them, one hand on the strap of her back pack while the other held the bloody dagger.

"Tonight, after sunset," called out the woman as she looked over at the two, "Meet me at Mushanokoji Saneatsu Park."

Xiaoyu was just about to call out to the woman, but she was gone in a flash, darting down the alley. Yoshimitsu was too stunned to chase after her, and he really didn't see a good reason to. She had already told him the time and place.

* * *

The two were back on the highway, and Xiaoyu was resting her head against Yoshimitsu's back, letting the bright strands of his hair whip above her like the tails of a kite in a storm. Yoshimitsu was thankful that they had gotten out of there before the police showed up, and he figured it'd be safer for them to lie low in the nearby Setagaya. They would wait for sunset, and they would meet that woman in the park back in Chofu.

'That was her alright,' thought Yoshimitsu. He could never forget her face.

Xiaoyu, who normally would have been worrying about all the classes she was missing and all the near death experiences she's had, was content to continue resting against Yoshimitsu, knowing that she'd be perfectly safe so long as he was there.

* * *

Author's Note: Well, I hope you liked it. I'll try to update again soon. As always, reviews are highly appreciated and help me out more than you know. Thanks for reading! ^_^


	8. Chapter Eight: One Less Enemy

Author's Note: Sorry for the long wait. I've moved around so much this past year, but now I'm finally settled in. Work has been a pain, with my schedule changing a lot. Anyway, finally, here's chapter eight. Enjoy.

Chapter Eight: One Less Enemy

Kawamitsu took a moment to be certain that he was completely focused before stepping into the holding cell. Moments ago, he had been talking to Yoshimitsu, who called him from a payphone in Setagaya to tell Kawamitsu that he'd be running a little late and so he should go ahead with things. And so, Kawamitsu entered the holding cell of Jean-Luc Roi Mikel de Garonne, the man who had been hired to kill his friend and master.

De Garonne rose from his seat at the bed upon seeing the door open. Kawamitsu, alone, closed the heavy metal door behind him, the cold sound echoing through the recycled air. He made his way towards the small table against the wall, sitting down with a sense of purpose.

"Please," he began, sounding very formal, "Have a seat." He motioned with a hand to the other seat at the table, keeping his eyes on the assassin.

De Garonne looked over at him with tired eyes and replied, "I'm fine over here, thanks." He then sat back down on the bed, it's old springs creaking as he did.

"Very well," said Kawamitsu, deciding it best to choose his battles wisely, "Look… You know why I'm in here, so let's just make this quick and easy, alright? Who hired you?"

De Garonne paused for only a second before answering with a tone of regretful amusement, "You know I can't tell you that."

Kawamitsu let out a brief sigh, having already known it would come to this. He had a long night ahead of him.

* * *

"The sun's been down forever now! Where is she?" fretted Xiaoyu as she paced around the park bench. Yoshimitsu sat there, trying to look as relaxed as possible.

"Xiaoyu, sit down," he said, his voice deep and soft, "You're going to draw attention." As he sat there with his arms propped up on the backrest and with his ankle resting on the knee of his other leg, he looked over his shoulder casually. Xiaoyu stopped and looked over at him, giving him a slight glare.

"Draw attention? But there's no one here!" she waved her arms around the dark, empty park as she continued to pace around the park bench.

"Just… Sit down." Yoshimitsu, leaning forward, took Xiaoyu by the arm and pulled her down on the bench to sit next to him, "We should appear as casual as possible. Anyone could be walking around here and look over at us, and if they saw you pacing back and forth- panicking- it would look odd. They would look at us and see two suspicious characters." He then wrapped an arm- his non-robotic one- around Xiaoyu's slender shoulders as if to put her at ease. He had re-donned the light weight jacket, with the hood over his head, and Xiaoyu found it easy to relax against the warm fabric.

The two were silent for a long time. So much so that Yoshimitsu could hear the soft beating of Xiaoyu's heart mixed with the gentle rustling of leaves in the wind. Strangely wanting to break the silence, Yoshimitsu groped his mind for something to talk about.

"Umm… Xiaoyu, you were in the last King of Iron Fist Tournament, yes?"

"The King of Iron Fist Tournament 4?" she asked, clarifying, "Yeah, I was. I didn't see you there. Did you get far?"

"Well, to be honest, I wasn't too concerned with the tournament itself. I mean, of course I wanted to win," he said, sitting back down, "But I knew I could get the money another way." Xiaoyu smiled, remembering all that she had heard about it.

"You stole it! I remember hearing about that. Heihachi must have been furious. How did you get away with it?"

"It wasn't easy, that's for sure. Lifting the vault up with the helicopter wasn't too hard, but escaping was no small feat. And it didn't help when I got distracted by-" He stopped himself, remembering.

"What?" asked Xiaoyu, looking over at him with curiosity.

"Nevermind," replied Yoshimitsu, as his thoughts went back to that night, only a few weeks ago. As Yoshimitsu was making his escape from the Mishima compound after having the Mishima vault airlifted by the Manji Clan's helicopter, he noticed one of the tournament's competitors, a man named Bryan Fury. Fury appeared to be injured somehow, and things didn't look good for him. Despite the fact that the two had been mortal enemies, Yoshimitsu knew in his heart that leaving Fury to die would not be the right thing to do. And so, he took the unconscious man to Dr. Bosconovich's lab, where he now rested.

Xiaoyu thought for a moment, and then looked over at Yoshimitsu again, asking, "Hey, Yoshi… When you rescued me, back at the Mishima Zaibatsu headquarters, I was trying to talk to Heihachi Mishima, but the Tekken Force guys seemed hell bent to keep me from him. Why do you think so?"

Yoshimitsu nodded, realizing that there was still so much that Xiaoyu didn't know. He debated with himself on whether or not he should tell her before saying, "Xiaoyu, I think the Tekken Force might have been trying to cover something up. You're not really too involved with the underworld of this city, so it would make sense for you not to know this. A rumor has been floating around the past couple of weeks, and I think it's about to be released to the public soon. That night, when your friend Jin Kazama won the King of Iron Fist Tournament 4, there was a massive explosion. Xiaoyu… There's been talk that Heihachi Mishima died in that explosion."

Xiaoyu looked away suddenly to keep Yoshimitsu from seeing the look of worry on her face. She felt as if her only chance to help the Mishima family was now gone, and it made her feel a sting of defeat. As she thought about the death of Heihachi and the eternal struggle that was now left to fester in the bitter hatred between Jin and his father Kazuya, she found herself holding back the tears that were building in her eyes. Yoshimitsu looked over at her, troubled at the idea of something he said making such a bright young woman so sad.

"Xiao, I… I've been so busy trying to find Kunimitsu that I haven't been able to take the time to look into the matter, so I can't say for sure that it's entirely true. It's just what they're saying," he offered, reaching to place a comforting hand on her shoulder when his acute hearing suddenly picked up a faint sound nearby.

Yoshimitsu stood up quickly, scanning the tree line. His abruptness caused Xiaoyu to look around as well.

"Is she here?" she asked quietly, forgetting about the Mishima tragedy.

"I don't know…" answered Yoshimitsu, his sensors completely focused. Xiaoyu's eyes wandered around more, and as she turned slightly to look over her shoulder, she let out a startled shriek. Yoshimitsu spun around to see the woman they met earlier standing only a few feet away from them on the other side of the bench. She had apparently been observing them from the nearby bushes.

Yoshimitsu stared at her, and as she stepped into the orange glow of the park light above them, he could see her face much more clearly. He was stupefied, having once thought that he might never have seen her face again only to see it before him now.

Kunimitsu slowly began to make her way out onto the stone path, and Xiaoyu took a step forward to get a closer look.

"Stand aside, girl," quietly ordered Kunimitsu, brushing passed Xiaoyu as she walked towards her lifelong enemy- and now friend- Yoshimitsu. Xiaoyu stepped aside clumsily, unable to tear her gaze from the woman whom Yoshimitsu had been searching high and low for. She didn't quite know what it was, but Xiaoyu couldn't ignore the bitter taste in her mouth.

"Kunimitsu," began Yoshimitsu, relieved and flustered all at once, "You're… alive! What…? Where have you been? Kunimitsu, I…" Yoshimitsu felt like a fool, and his soft babbling made Xiaoyu resent this woman's presence even more. What was so special about her to make Yoshimitsu act that way?

"Hello Yoshimitsu. It's been about, what, eight months or so? It's nice to see you," Kunimitsu smirked a little, and it brought out her graceful age a measure more.

"I've been…" Worried? Crazed? Frustrated? Insane with determination? "… looking for you," stated Yoshimitsu, who crossed his arms in an attempt to hide his uneasiness. He almost liked it better when she was trying to kill him, not when she was standing there so coolly, her eyes laughing at him.

"So, who's your little friend?" asked Kunimitsu, nodding towards Xiaoyu.

"I'm Ling Xiaoyu!" piped Xiaoyu, eager to get a word in. She knew what she was feeling was childish, but she didn't care at this point. She'd been through too much to let this vixen show up at steal away whatever shred of friendship she had formed with Yoshimitsu.

"Xiaoyu here has been assisting me in my search for you," added Yoshimitsu, taking a step forward.

"Oh really?" Kunimitsu turned to look at Xiaoyu, their eyes meeting each other willfully, "A thanks is in order then, isn't it?" She bowed slightly to Xiaoyu, who instinctively bowed lower in reply.

"It was nothing, really," she stated before walking over to Yoshimitsu's side, "Well, should we get going? We don't want to stick around too long or those-"

"Look out!" suddenly shouted Yoshimitsu as he dove down, bringing Xiaoyu down with him.

In the time it took for them to fall, Kunimitsu contorted her lean, flexible body to the side to avoid the bullet that went flying passed her. Yoshimitsu got to his feet, dragging Xiaoyu with him and the three took refuge in the nearby bushes.

"What was that?" asked Xiaoyu anxiously.

"Quiet," said Kunimitsu, dismissively, as she gazed out through the bushes they were crouched in. She could definitely hear a faint sound through all of the rattling of the wind-swept leaves, but she couldn't pinpoint it. She then looked over at Yoshimitsu, who silently showed her three fingers and pointed at various locations in the trees across the stone path.

The two of them tensed their bodies and, like springs, they bounded out of the bushes, leaving Xiaoyu puzzled. They both ran towards the trees in a zigzag pattern, like wolves closing in on their prey.

A few shots were fired by the hidden assailants, but the two Manji ninja, like the silent killers they were, dodge them all as they neared the trees. Kunimitsu leapt towards one such tree, and the man who had been hiding behind it- a shorter, stalky man in night camouflage- stepped around the tree to greet her. He was about to fire off another shot, but Kunimitsu kicked the gun out of his hand and, as soon as that foot touched the ground, she used her other leg to knee the man in the stomach.

While those two continued to fight, Yoshimitsu saw another assailant- similarly dressed to the other one- up in the tree branches. Yoshimitsu, with inhuman agility, leaped up to the lowest branch, reaching it with his powerful hands. The man in the tree fired a shot, hoping to knock Yoshimitsu down, but his shot missed as Yoshimitsu, like an acrobat, swung his legs and lifted himself up on the branch. He then quickly made his way closer to the other man, who was in the frantic process of trying to climb down. The man managed to jump from the tree and, after a clumsy landing, scrambled to his feet. However, Yoshimitsu then bounded from the tree and, with a downward slash of his sword, killed the man instantly.

Yoshimitsu held his breath during the mere seconds it took for the blood to sputter from the man's dying body, and Yoshimitsu's prized blade was soon drenched in the slippery, warm redness. With a quick twirl of his robotic wrist, like a dark windmill, Yoshimitsu splattered the stone path in an effort to get most of the blood off the blade. Yoshimitsu, a demon in that moment, looked over at the third man, who was hiding in a nearby bunch of bushes. Even from his place of concealment, the hired killer could see the smoldering red glow of the eyes on Yoshimitsu's oni mask, and the entire site of the demon and his bloody blade was too much. The man wasted no time in his retreat, running as fast as he could through the trees and out of the park.

Xiaoyu could see this all clearly from her own hiding place behind the bushes, and it sent a slight chill running down her spine. She hadn't seen Yoshimitsu like this, and she wondered if that feral violence had always been there or if it was Kunimitsu who brought it out of him. Yoshimitsu, returning to stand beside the park bench, glanced over at Kunimitsu, who returned with her own bloody dagger. Xiaoyu emerged from the bushes and regarded them both with a new sense of awareness for their ferocity. Yoshimitsu swallowed, not really liking the look he saw on Xiaoyu's face.

"Anyway," began Kunimitsu, her voice eerily bright and casual, "Back to what you were saying, Ling. I agree. Let's get out of here."

* * *

"What do you mean 'they weren't human'?" asked Aikuchi, sitting up a little more in his dark leather office chair. He placed an elbow on the green felt top of his mahogany desk, using his arm to keep his head propped up, "You mean you found her, but she wasn't alone? There were two others with her? Who were they?" He paused. "No, just return. Yes, that's too bad about the others, but there's nothing we can do… We'll just have to look into it then." He ended the call and set his phone down on the desk, going over the short conversation in his mind and what it all meant.

Aikuchi then let out a heavy sigh, not wanting to believe that his men had failed yet again to take out Kunimitsu. She had gotten away with hundreds of thousands of yen, and that was not a deficit that Aikuchi's small crime firm was able to handle for much longer, despite the extra bit of breathing room they had gained from the larger Black Pheasant Syndicate's downfall.

Aikuchi leaned back in his large desk chair, rotating the chair back and forth slowly as he tried to think about his next move. He knew very well that, if Kunimitsu had made contact with her former leader, Yoshimitsu, there was virtually no hope of him getting his money back. However, the identity of the third individual intrigued him. The assailant on the phone, just returning from a failed attempt in the park, had mentioned that there was a "young woman" with the two Manji ninja. Who was she? Perhaps, Aikuchi thought, there could be a way to make use of her.

With a new sense of determination, Aikuchi picked up the phone, contacting that assailant again. "Listen. It's not over yet. That girl you said you saw with Yoshimitsu and Kunimitsu… Yes. Find out who she is."

* * *

"Well, I'm certainly pleased to see you've returned safely, and with Kunimitsu!" said Dr. Bosconovich, glancing over at Yoshimitsu from his seat at his desk.

Yoshimitsu, leaning against a surgical table in the center of the main lab room, looked down at the cold cement floor. Not wanting to put two much stress on Kunimitsu and Xiaoyu, he had them retire for the night. There were so many questions he wanted to ask Kunimitsu, particularly about the trouble she's in and how it can be resolved.

"Yoshimitsu," Dr. Bosconovich began, "I know your thoughts are occupied with many troubles of late, but I thought I'd let you know that the development of your new suit of armor is coming along quite nicely."

"Oh?" inquired Yoshimitsu, sounding a bit tired, "That's great news. Thank you." He then paused for a moment, remembering his brief conversation with Xiaoyu in the park. "Umm… Dr. Bosconovich? Has there been any progress with… the man I rescued? Bryan Fury?"

Within a few minutes, Dr. Bosconovich and Yoshimitsu had moved to the deepest reaches of the laboratory to a small room where the man in question was resting in suspended animation, recovering from his wounds.

Yoshimitsu looked down at Bryan Fury, wondering at how such a troubled soul could still look so angry, even in sleep. His silver hair only added to the gauntness of his facial features, making him look all too menacing.

"He's a tricky one," Dr. Bosconovich stated, looking over diagrams and charts, "He's a cyborg like you, yes, created by my long-time rival Dr. Abel. But he's far less superior to your design- if I don't say so myself- and so his recovery has been difficult."

"Is there anything we can do to speed up the process?" asked Yoshimitsu curiously.

"Well… There is something. I've been developing a perpetual power generator. As soon as it's complete, I could use him as a model for testing it? It could be just the thing he'd need to continue living."

"Good," replied Yoshimitsu, looking over the readings on a nearby regulator.

"Yoshimitsu… I must say, I'm still a little confused," admitting Dr. Bosconovich, looking over at his old friend though his glasses, "Bryan Fury, once an INTERPOL agent, was transformed into this relentless monster who's only capable of destruction and, by proxy of his creator, has a distinct hatred for you. Why do you want to save him?"

"Kunimitsu was no different," began Yoshimitsu, meeting the gaze of the old doctor with his own, "If I was able to get through to her, perhaps I can get through to this man? We could use an ally or, at least, one less enemy."

"I'm not so sure," added Dr. Bosconovich, cautiously, "Let's just… be careful."

"Of course," answered Yoshimitsu, not wanting to worry too much about it, "This won't be a problem, really. Besides, I have more pressing concerns to focus on. Like this assassin… De Garonne. Kawamitsu wasn't able to get much out of him, from what I've briefly heard… I should look into it immediately." Dr. Bosconovich chuckled a little, shaking his head.

"Old friend, you should at least get a few hours of sleep before diving into another debacle!" Yoshimitsu sighed, just now starting to feel fatigue.

"Right…"

* * *

Author's Note: This chapter might be a little shorter than previous ones. Honestly, I've had most of it written up in a draft for the longest time and have just recently gotten around to finishing it. Like I mentioned at the beginning, I've just been so swamped, and I sincerely apologize for the delay. Anyway, thanks for reading, and I'll try my hardest to get back on track. Like always, any reviews are welcome. Thanks again.


	9. Chapter Nine: You Have No Idea

Author's Note: Well, the overall idea of the storyline is becoming more and more clear in my mind, so writing this chapter actually wasn't all that difficult. Again, I apologize for the delay and so, without further ado, chapter nine!

Chapter Nine: You Have No Idea

"Ah, Miss Ling, so nice of you to join us," sardonically welcomed the instructor at his place in front of a long white board, marker in hand. Xiaoyu bowed quickly and practically ran to her seat, trying to make herself as small as a bird to avoid the looks of her fellow classmates. The instructor, eager to get on with this days latest, riveting lesson, turned back to the marker board and continued scrawling away.

"Xiao!" whispered Xiaoyu's best friend, Miharu, as she leaned over, "I was worried about you. You weren't at any of your classes yesterday. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," assured Xiaoyu, pulling her notebook and pencil bag out of her backpack and quietly setting them on the wooden desk top, "There's just been a lot of crazy things happening lately and-" Xiaoyu looked up at the instructor to make sure he couldn't hear that she was talking during his lecture, "… I'll tell you more about it later."

Class continued, seeming to drag on and on. Xiaoyu did her best to catch up with the lesson, and before long, Xiaoyu had finished the last line of her notes. Before long, all of the students began filing out of the classroom with the sound of the bell chiming, causing a cacophony of moving chairs and shuffling feet.

"Oh Miss Ling!" patronizingly called out the instructor over all the noise. Miharu gave her friend a sympathetic look before making her own escape out of the classroom like all the other students. Xiaoyu marched to the front of the class as quickly as she could.

"I'm sure you have a perfectly good excuse for missing yesterdays class," began the instructor, straightening out the collar of his dark grey suit, "but I'm not interested in excuses- only promises to work even harder." With that, he pulled a manila folder out of his desk drawer and practically thrust it in Xiaoyu's general direction.

Xiaoyu wasted no time in taking the folder, bowing deeply, and exiting the class room. In the hallway, Miharu stood patiently waiting for her friend as student after student navigated passed her through the crowded hallway. When Xiaoyu appeared out into the hall, however, she made her way directly to the nearest wall and hopelessly placed her forehead against it, almost as if she would rather bash her own brains out than think about all of the busy work that was certainly waiting for inside of the despicable manila folder she held in her hands.

* * *

De Garonne suddenly found himself ripped from the creaky wooden chair he had been sitting on and was thrown against the wall, his forehead hitting the bare cement.

"Fuck!" he scream, groaning in pain as he stumbled back. Using his free hand, he rubbed his forehead and spat out a bit of bloodied saliva, trying to ignore the pain in his skull and the throbbing of his other arm as it hung in its makeshift sling. Yoshimitsu grabbed de Garonne by his dark, button-up shirt and slammed him against the wall again.

"Who sent you?" demanded Yoshimitsu, his voice reaching new depths of darkness and ferocity. Yoshimitsu had re-donned his menacing beetle suit, adding to his intimidating appearance. There was a pause for a moment, and Yoshimitsu turned de Garonne around to face him, pushing him up against the cold wall.

"The syndicate that's after Kunimitsu, the one that hired you- What is it called?" he cold-clocked de Garonne across the face and continued to slam him repeated against the wall.

De Garonne's whole body was reeling in pain, and he was having trouble deciding why he was still bothering to resist. However, his lips managed to utter something, anything.

"I c-can't think with you beating me!" he retorted, which caused Yoshimitsu to grab him by the throat with his robotic hand.

"I don't have time for this! Tell me who hired you! Where are they?" Yoshimitsu took a step to the side and threw de Garonne towards the wooden table in the middle of the room. De Garonne screamed in pain when his injured arm hit the table. Using his free hand to steady him, he stood up and turned around to face his interrogator.

"You have no idea…" he began, spitting more blood onto the bare floor, "You have no idea who's really pulling the strings here…"

* * *

"What? You're not serious!" Miharu couldn't contain her disbelief as she sat across her best friend. She shook her heard and looked down at her lunch.

"Of course I am!" responded Xiaoyu through a mouthful of dumplings, "I can't just sit around here doing nothing! I have to go back to the Manji Clan and help Yoshimitsu." She continued eating as she looked around the outdoor dining area, with all of it's picnic tables and benches. The sun was particularly bright this afternoon, and it only helped Xiaoyu's optimism.

Just as the two girls were finishing up their lunches, Chiteki walked up to them, having debated on his next attempt for the past half hour.

"H-Hi, Xiaoyu, Miharu," he began, not stammering quite as much as usual.

"Hi Chiteki," they replied in unison, hardly looking up at him.

"Um… Xiaoyu… I was wondering if… Well, I have two tickets to the Mishima Amusement Park and I was wondering if-"

"Of course I'll go!" beamed Xiaoyu, before Chiteki could even finish his question, "I love amusement parks!"

Chiteki, shocked at his seemingly effortless success, smiled nervously.

"Wow, really? G-Great! Umm, I'm sure you're really busy with all the work you missed, so how about we go next week? I-I mean, if that's enough time for you."

"Sure thing! Thank you so much! I'll get back to you on that, okay?"

"Yeah, that's great! Perfect!" Chiteki, having reached critical mass of interaction time with Xiaoyu, quickly took off back inside the school building.

"Wow, he sure seems excited," commented Miharu, with a smirk, "I sure hope you don't lead the poor boy on." She winked at her friend, hoping to get a response.

"Oh please!" replied Xiaoyu as she began collecting her things, "I just couldn't say no to a free amusement park pass. Besides, after all the times he's asked to hang out, the least I could do is say yes just once." Xiaoyu was looking forward to some fun, but she was still as determined as ever to not get side-tracked.

Xiaoyu's determination, however, would be diminished if she had known what was going on in plain sight, right across the street. A perfectly normal-looking couple was posing together for a picture, but instead of snapping a shot of the two, their photographer was focusing his lens on the young woman with the pigtails who was eating lunch with her friend.

"Got it," muttered the photographer, quickly returning his camera to its case, "Why do you think Aikuchi wants all of this?"

"Who cares?" replied the woman as her "boyfriend" began walking towards their inconspicuous car, "Let's just get back to headquarters."

* * *

"Take him back to his room," ordered Yoshimitsu, as two Manji ninja pulled de Garonne to his feet. The anger had already begun to retreat from Yoshimitsu's mechanized voice, "But first, take him to the medical quarters. Have the doctor take a look at him."

As soon as they were gone, Yoshimitsu left the awful interrogation room and made his way to the exit of the small building, hidden deep in the forest. Once outside that cement shack, Yoshimitsu was able to breathe in the fresh mountain air, and he could feel himself relax.

"Were you able to get anything out of him?" asked Kawamitsu from his place next to one of the tall trees. He took a few steps towards his leader and friend, pushing a little dirt and pine needles around with his boots.

"Well, not much," answered Yoshimitsu, stretching out his arms under the sun, "There's something bigger at work here, that's for sure. He said something in there that puzzled me."

"Oh?" The two started to make their way along the narrow path through the forest, taking care not to snap any branches under their feet.

"He said that I have no idea who's "really pulling the strings around here." I'm not entirely sure what to make of it. Do you think… Do you think he could have a double-motive? What if there's someone else who's employed him? What if this whole thing is a distraction?"

"That's a possibility, Master," Kawamitsu said, playing with one of his throwing knives. Just as he was about to offer up more of this thoughts on the matter, the quiet static of the radio at his hip was interrupted by an urgent voice.

"Kawamitsu, Yuromitsu. Is Master there?" Kawamitsu took the radio in his hand and held it up to his mouth.

"Here."

"He's got a little visitor."

Yoshimitsu sighed and placed his palm over the eyes of his mask, "You've got to be kidding me…"

* * *

"What are you doing here? How did you even find this place?" Yoshimitsu couldn't believe who was sitting down at his table, in his own room.

"I just thought I'd say hi!" cheerfully replied Xiaoyu while taking the liberty of inspecting the various ink boxes and Buddhist statuettes Yoshimitsu had on his table, "Kunimitsu was nice enough to show me how to get here. I was surprised I was able to find her!"

Yoshimitsu glared over at Kunimitsu, who was leaning against the doorway. She was back into her familiar purple body suit, an oni mask covering the upper half of her face. Yoshimitsu could clearly see the smirk on her face, and it didn't help ease any of his frustration.

'You think this is so funny, don't you,' thought Yoshimitsu, turning away from Kunimitsu and looking back down at Xiaoyu. It was hard to be too mad at her, in her perfectly innocuous school uniform.

"I thought it'd be good for you, Yoshimitsu, to have a friend by your side to keep you company," Kunimitsu stated coyly, biting her lip in glee.

"So, Yoshimitsu, have you found out anything from that assassin? Are you going to confront the guys who're after Kunimitsu?" asked Xiaoyu as she rose to her feet.

"Xiaoyu, the worst is over, so you really don't have to be here," began Yoshimitsu, desperately wanting to be anywhere but here.

"Oh, don't worry, Yoshi," assured Xiaoyu, "I don't really have anything else to do. I mean, I have a lot of school work to make up for, but I'm sure it won't take too long. Oh hey, did I tell you a friend of mine is going to take me to the amusement park next week? I'm super excited. I'm going with Chiteki; you remember him, right?"

"Chiteki?" asked Kunimitsu, thinking back to the young college student who she had become acquainted with during her short employment under Chiteki's uncle, Lord Aikuchi- the man now trying to track her down.

"Xiaoyu," cautioned Yoshimitsu, "I don't think you should be hanging out with that boy. He's-"

"-nothing to worry about," interrupted Kunimitsu, seeing her opportunity unfold, "I've known Chiteki for a while now. His uncle may be a shady character, to say the least, but young Chiteki is harmless."

Yoshimitsu glanced over at Kunimitsu, sensing that she had some sort of motive behind that last statement. However, as curious as he was, that would have to wait. He had much more pressing matters to deal with.

"Xiao, you don't have to leave just yet, but I have a lot of work to do," he began, helping the young woman to her feet.

"Do you mind if I tag along?" asked Xiaoyu, interlacing her fingers hopefully, "I'd like to see what kind of work you do around here."

"Umm, sure, that'd be fine," shrugged Yoshimitsu, making his way to the door.

Kunimitsu stepped aside, letting the two pass, but when Yoshimitsu took just two steps down the hallway, he turned back to look at her.

"Xiao, could you just meet me outside?" asked Yoshimitsu, "I forgot something." Xiaoyu answered with a casual "sure" and continued down the hall, leaving Yoshimitsu alone with Kunimitsu.

"Just what are you getting at?" asked Yoshimitsu, unconvinced.

"What? About Chiteki? Yoshimitsu, let's not be naïve. You and I both know that Chiteki could very well be our key to getting Aikuchi off my back. We could use this little Chinese girl to get close enough to him to-"

"We don't kidnap innocent people for our own gain," interrupted Yoshimitsu, his voice, although firm, not reaching any louder than a statement of fact.

"Oh, please, Yoshimitsu, you know very well that this isn't a game," Kunimitsu crossed her arms and leaned against the wooden frame of the door, "We don't have to hurt the kid. We just have to… persuade him to help us get into his uncle's office so we can all… have a little chat."

Yoshimitsu sighed, placing a hand on his hips, "You know, Kunimitsu, when we last said goodbye- before you disappeared- I was very hopeful that you would be able to turn a new leaf and start a good life. But look at you," he motioned to her slender figure, "You look the same as you did twenty years ago, and it seems like you're still up to no good."

Kunimitsu's lips curved into a graceful smirk. She uncrossed her arms, letting them fall to her sides as she took a few calculated steps towards Yoshimitsu.

"You know that's how you always liked me."

Yoshimitsu, slightly overwhelmed by Kunimitsu's intimate presence, smiled behind his mask. He couldn't deny that it was great to see her, to have her back in the Manji Clan, even if for a moment. He had missed her.

"I… I should get going. I have a lot of work to do," he muttered, turning away. He tried not to look back at her, taking longer strides than usual.

"I'll be around," answered Kunimitsu, coyly. She grinned, hopeful for a chance to ease her boredom.

Once outside, Yoshimitsu found Xiaoyu surrounded by a small group of refugee children, all waiting for their daily rations. They were all laughing and playing with one of Xiaoyu's chunky bracelets, fascinated by it's glow and color. Xiaoyu, trying to talk to the children in both Japanese and Chinese, was too distracted to notice Yoshimitsu standing next to her.

"They can't understand you. They're North Korean," explained Yoshimitsu, entertained by Xiaoyu's effort.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, startled, "Hey, where did you come from? You just appeared out of nowhere! So, all of these kids are from other countries?"

"Most of them," Yoshimitsu answered, leading the children back to the waiting line. He looked around at all of the different stations, all full of activity. There were people everywhere- mostly refugees and a few Manji ninja scattered about, trying to help. "We try our best to bring them here and give them things they need, like food and clothes and medical attention. We're strapped for funds, but we get by."

"This is really a great thing," began Xiaoyu, accepting her bracelet back from the children as they went back to their mothers, "There's so many of them."

"We try to give them as much as we can. It's becoming more and more difficult with each new year. This world, Xiao, can be a cruel place." Yoshimitsu continued to make his way deeper into the crowd of people, and Xiaoyu was close behind him. Xiaoyu saw that there were faces everywhere, and they all seemed to be tired and worn. Even the children, with their innocence, showed the wear that comes with a life of struggle. Xiaoyu could see their hunger, their pain, and their loss. She had never witnessed anything like this before, and it seemed to waft all around her and fill her nostrils and eyes.

All at once, Xiaoyu's admiration of Yoshimitsu increased tenfold. He looked so courageous as he made his way through the crowd. He saw everything, everyone. These people weren't just nameless numbers to him. He was compassionate, strange, and ferocious all at once, and Xiaoyu was more aware of it now than ever before.

Just as she was about to say something- anything- to him, Yoshimitsu looked back at her and said, "Follow me; there's something I want to show you."

The brisk walk along the narrow forest path was enough to bring a soft pink to Xiaoyu's cheek, and she licked her drying lips as she looked up at the large house that stood before them. It looked very European in design, she noted, with its stone-wall exterior and high angled roofs. Xiaoyu counted three stories, including the attic, and she grew more and more curious about who owned this expansive, imposing house in the middle of the forest.

Yoshimitsu, despite his familiarity with both the house and its owner, politely rang the doorbell and stood patiently until it was opened, revealing an elderly gentleman in a lab coat.

"Ah! Yoshimitsu, so nice to see you on this fine day," Dr. Bosconovich adjusted his glasses and moved his gaze to Xiaoyu, "And this must be the lovely Xiaoyu Ling that I've heard so much about. Welcome to my home, young lady. Please," he opened the large oak door wider and motioned to them, "come in."

* * *

"You have a lovely home," complimented Xiaoyu, not quite sure of what else to say while she drank her cup of black tea, much different than the green tea she was used to.

"Why thank you," replied Dr. Bosconovich, smiling as he looked over at his long-time friend, Yoshimitsu. The three were sitting in the doctor's nicely decorated living room, with it's cozy atmosphere. "Now, Yoshimitsu, what exactly did you come here for? Certainly, with your busy schedule, it wasn't just to drop by and give this old man a visit."

"Yes," began Yoshimitsu, arms crossed as he leaned back on the couch, relaxing a little, "I wanted to show Xiaoyu something. I think it would be good for her to see what we've been working on. It would give her a… better sense of the future."

"I see," said Dr. Bosconovich, after a slight pause.

"Show me what?" asked Xiaoyu, curious. She was certain that this doctor had all sorts of inventions he was working on, which were probably hidden in a secret laboratory somewhere. Xiaoyu beamed at the possibility.

"Dr. Bosconovich and I have been working on something for the past decade that will completely change the type of protection we can give to the world's displaced refugees." Yoshimitsu stood from his seat on the couch, helping Xiaoyu to her feet.

"Oh really?" she asked, wondering what kind of invention could have such a profound influence on a global scale.

"Right this way," offered Dr. Bosconovich as he led them deeper into his expansive house, eventually leading them to the door of his laboratory. Xiaoyu, eager to see what sort of exciting contraptions were on display, was a bit surprised to see that the laboratory was extremely clean, almost bare.

"If you'd be so kind, please wait here while I go retrieve the blueprints," instructed Dr. Bosconovich, walking deeper into the laboratory. Yoshimitsu leaned against a lab table while Xiaoyu looked around the room she was currently in. There were a few exam tables neatly lined up, each being flanked by carts with trays of medical supplies.

"What is this stuff?" asked Xiaoyu, not really expecting these sorts of things in the lab of a scientist.

"This is the room where Dr. Bosconovich made me into what I am now," Yoshimitsu answered her while making a fist with his robotic left arm, hidden underneath the sleek armor of his beetle suit.

Xiaoyu nodded, showing she understood. She then resigned herself to sitting on one of the tables, where she kept busy by playing with the hem of her pastel yellow-colored skirt. She suddenly noticed how quite it was in the lab, the shuffling of Dr. Bosconovich in the other rooms muted by the thick walls. She wondered why it was taking him this long to find the blueprints to whatever it was they were going to show her. She continued to pull a thread or two from her skirt, and then she noticed a loose thread on the sleeve of her top.

Yoshimitsu, having been distracted by his thoughts and staring into nothing, snapped out of it as he noticed Xiaoyu pulling something from her shirt. He watched her aimlessly, thinking it was foolish of him to ask a girl like Xiaoyu to help him… and that he was really glad he did. Her quirky charm and inherent inelegance was somehow therapeutic.

In the silence, Xiaoyu's focus unexpectedly turned from her clothes to Yoshimitsu, who was halfway across the room. Upon meeting her glance, Yoshimitsu grew unexplainably uneasy, and he quickly looked away. He suddenly wished Dr. Bosconovich would hurry up with those blueprints.

Xiaoyu smiled, and broke the silence with, "You're funny, Yoshimitsu." He looked back at her casually, trying to look busy in thought and not really in the moment.

"Oh?" He didn't look at her.

"Yeah. At first glance, you look so scary! But, after what I've seen, you're a nice guy." Yoshimitsu didn't respond, so Xiaoyu continued, "I remember when you saved me from the Tekken Force on that night I was snooping around the Mishima Zaibatsu, and I really appreciate it. I'm glad I was able to become your friend and help you find Kunimitsu." Xiaoyu wasn't quite sure what was causing her to say all these things, and she assumed these were all just thoughts she had been meaning to tell him about this whole time.

"Yes, well, thank you," replied Yoshimitsu, his deep voice resonating throughout the barren room.

"Umm… Yoshimitsu… I was wondering… since you found Kunimitsu, do you think you could…? I dunno…"

Yoshimitsu was growing increasingly aware of his anxiety, and he kept glancing at the door Dr. Bosconovich had disappeared behind. He wasn't quite sure where Xiaoyu was going with all of this, and he really wished she'd stop looking at him so much.

"I was wondering if you could help me find Jin. I wasn't able to talk to Heihachi, while he was alive, but maybe I could find Jin and Kazuya. I really think that, if I can talk to them, maybe this whole family feud will end and-" Xiaoyu cut herself off, not wanting to reveal her deep feelings for Jin Kazama and risk looking like a wishful little girl. Yoshimitsu's eyebrows furrowed a bit behind his mask as a strange feeling crept over him. He didn't want to talk about Kazama, especially with Xiaoyu.

"Xiao, I've already made my opinion on the Mishima family quite clear. They're all far too consumed with hatred to move past their mutual disliking of each other. You should steer clear of them. I'm all about helping people, believe me, but that sort of beast is too big for someone like you to tackle."

"Someone like me?" Xiaoyu slid off the edge of the table, landing on her feet. "What does that mean?" Her voice rose to a more energetic, almost challenging tone.

"I merely mean that you're a young girl who has no place messing around with such dangerous people." Yoshimitsu crossed his arms as he faced her, feeling a bit confrontational.

"I knew it! You don't think I can handle it because I'm a girl! Well, I think that's silly. I mean, I'm the one who helped you find Kunimitsu and save her from those syndicate jerks!"

"Helped? Ha! Hardly. Do you realize how excruciating it's been trying to keep you out of harms way? You never listen to any advice I give you, and because of your naïveté, you were almost killed by that assassin! You always manage to get in the way."

"We both know that assassin was after you, not me! You're lucky I decided to stick around, seeing that there's always someone trying to kill you! I've been all over the place with you, running away from syndicate goons and assassins and all sort of craziness, and you don't even appreciate it!" Xiaoyu marched up to him, raising a small fist, "You're a jerk!" She began to repeatedly pelt him in the chest with her fist, like a hammer.

"Hey, knock it off," Yoshimitsu caught her hand in his with ease, and held it fast when she tried to wiggle away.

"You're mean!" retaliated Xiaoyu, but soon her attempt to escaped his iron grip was ceased, and she stood there with her hand relaxing in his. It was suddenly quiet again. She first looked at her hand in his, being held up at eye level, and her gaze traveled up into the bright, glowing eyes of Yoshimitsu's skeletal mask.

He could hear her breathing, which was starting to calm down from her temporary moment of frustration, and he could feel her hand relaxing more. She was so close he could see the details in the dark irises of her almond-shaped eyes. She was a bit too close for his liking, but Yoshimitsu disregarded his feeling of discomfort for this moment of peace.

"I'm sorry," began Yoshimitsu, his voice both calm and captivating, "You're right. You've been very brave, Xiaoyu. You're a strong fighter, and I really do appreciate your assistance. Right now, things are still dangerous. Sure, we were able to capture de Garonne, but I know that there's more to this than just him and the syndicate that's after Kunimitsu. Anything could happen, and I know you're a capable fighter, but I don't want anything bad to happen to you. Do you understand?"

Xiaoyu nodded, looking up at him with seriousness. She seemed unable to speak. Just then, the door on the other side of the room opened and Dr. Bosconovich reemerged, holding a couple of tall plastic cylinders containing the blueprints.

Yoshimitsu quickly let go of Xiaoyu's hand, and she hurriedly brought it back down to her chest, holding it close with her other hand as she turned away from Yoshimitsu. Dr. Bosconovich didn't seem to notice as he quickly went to work laying out the blueprints on one of the cold lab tables.

Yoshimitsu and Xiaoyu walked closer to the lab table, careful to not stand too close together. Yoshimitsu looked down at the two large images, already going over the specifics in his mind. He had deliberated over these blueprints time and time again. Xiaoyu, more than a little distracted, wasn't quite sure what she was looking at.

"These, Xiaoyu, are blueprints for two large-scale projects that we've been working on for quite some time. This here," pointed Yoshimitsu, his gloved finger resting down on one of the designs, "Is a combination passenger-cargo spacecraft that will-"

"Spacecraft?" asked Xiaoyu, incredulously. Her eyes went down to the drawing, surprised. "Aren't those expensive? I mean, I know there are a lot of private companies nowadays that have their own space shuttles, but those companies are rich! Like, really rich!"

"Yes," replied Dr. Bosconovich, removing his wireframe glasses to clean them with a cloth, "Our lack of funds has made progress quite sluggish."

"It will take people and supplies from our base here to this," continued Yoshimitsu, indicating the next blueprint, "An orbiting space station that will eventually house all of our refugees."

"You're serious," said Xiaoyu, thinking aloud, "Wow… Have you started building them?"

"Yes, we've actually already finished building them… sort of. These are updates of the models we've built, which are currently working as prototypes," responded Yoshimitsu, who began rolling the blueprints up and sliding them back into their cases. He wasn't quite sure why he wanted to show these to Xiaoyu, and now it seemed kind of silly to come all the way out here for this, but he at least took a bit of comfort in the fact that she now knew just what exactly he had on his plate.

"This world is growing more and more dangerous," continued Yoshimitsu, handing the cases back to Dr. Bosconovich, "The only hope for these people is to just get out of harms way until this war-obsessed world revolutionizes. And the sooner we're able to get the proper funds we need, we'll be able to

With that, fate saw fit to drive the point home with an urgent radio call from the Manji base. Yoshimitsu wasted no time in taking up the radio from his side.

"Yoshimitsu here. What's wrong?" He was more than a little surprised to hear Kunimitsu's resonant voice on the other end.

"Get back here now! We're under attack!"

Leaving Dr. Bosconovich behind, Yoshimitsu bolted towards the exit, dropping the radio along the way. Xiaoyu struggled to keep up with him, her slender legs propelling her up the stairs, through the lab door, and across the living room.

Once outside, Yoshimitsu surprised Xiaoyu by taking her hand and immediately springing into the air with so much thrust that it was hard for Xiaoyu to take a breath. Yoshimitsu pulled her closer to him as he cut through the air, flying as fast as he could towards the base. From his internal HUD, he could see that his heart rate was accelerating rapidly, and he could feel his senses heighten with each wave of adrenaline. All Xiaoyu could make out were the blurs of trees as they soared by.

Once the base was in sight, Yoshimitsu could see that there was already a great deal of damage dealt. Small fires were already burning and he could see the quick flashes of gunfire. Yoshimitsu dove down, and as he neared the buildings of the complex, he saw the complete ferocity of the intruding assailants.

"They're Jacks!" shouted Yoshimitsu, his internal indicators targeting each of the massive robotic soldiers. He carefully let Xiaoyu to the ground and continued to fly towards the nearest Jack-4 robot.

Xiaoyu, upon her feet hitting the ground, tried to keep up with the momentum but found herself falling forward. She quickly rose to her feet, ignoring all the dirt on her clothes, and looked around frantically. There were still refugees trying to take shelter, and most of the Manji ninja were now outside, trying their best to fight the formidable Jack robots.

Yoshimitsu dove straight into the Jack he had been targeting, causing both himself and the bulky machine to go crashing into the ground. Yoshimitsu quickly rose to his feet and turned to face the intimidating robot, which had also rose to it feet as was now marching towards him, gun aimed.

Yoshimitsu took no time in drawing his sword, it's high-charged blade glowing with intensity. He dashed towards the Jack-4 and, before the robotic soldier could even fire at him, Yoshimitsu slashed at his enemy, the hot blade slicing clean through both the arms and the massive weapon of the Jack-4. The robot, unable to fight back, took another blow from Yoshimitsu- a stabbing through the chest. With that, the Jack-4 short circuited and crumpled to the ground.

Xiaoyu, upon seeing another Jack-4 nearby, took a defensive stance and prepared to fight as it aggressively approached her. Xiaoyu, being so small and nimble, was able to dodge most of the robot's attack. But before long, the Jack-4 was able to get a hold of her, and it lifted her up as if she were nothing more than a piece of furniture.

"Ahh!" screamed Xiaoyu, who was just then being lifted into the air by the massive arms of another Jack-4 robot. It was about to crush her in half, but before it could, Kunimitsu appeared, leaping into the air and planting a swift kick to the robot's side. It stumbled to the side, dropping Xiaoyu in the process. She hit the ground with a hard thud, coughing from the dust. She staggered to her feet and quickly got out of the way as Kunimitsu planted kick after kick until the Jack simply caught Kunimitsu's leg in midair. She shouted in surprise as the colossal combatant swung her around and threw her to the side like a mere plaything.

Kunimitsu landed with her hands and, like a gymnast, sprung herself up onto her feet, but before she could have another go, Yoshimitsu had cut the robot in half at the waist.

"There you are!" called out Kunimitsu, running up to her former leader, "They arrived out of no where! They're all over the place!"

"Keep fighting, and you," he motioned to Xiaoyu, "Find a place to hide."

"But-"

"Now!" With that, Yoshimitsu and Kunimitsu took off deeper into the Manji complex, leaving Xiaoyu to disobediently chase after them.

Xiaoyu could feel the warmth of anger bring a blush to her cheeks. She really didn't expect him to treat her like this, especially after their brief heart-to-heart in the laboratory, and so she was more determined than ever to prove her fighting ability.

There couldn't be more than a dozen Jack-4s left, but that meant nothing considering the immense firepower the remaining robots were able to unleash. Lucky for the Manji ninja, with their lithe bodies and advanced skills, they were much faster than the mammoth warriors they were fighting.

Meanwhile, in one of the holding cells nearby, de Garonne rose from his bed at hearing the commotion outside, being awoken from a hard sleep.

'What the hell?' he asked himself, unable to see what was going on outside due to the lack of windows in the room.

"Is it," he began aloud, "Is it them? It can't be. Someone else? Did they track me here?" He knelt beside the door, awaiting his chance to escape. Only moments later, the seemingly impenetrable door to the holding cell burst open from the forceful punch of a Jack-4 robot. De Garonne quickly grabbed the robots arm with his free hand, using all of his weight to slam the robot into the side of the gaping doorway. With that, he quickly bolted down the hallway, not really knowing where he was going.

De Garonne could hear the Jack-4 robot begin to chase him, and he knew there was no way he could survive unless he found his rifle, and fast.

"Yaa!" shouted Kawamitsu, as he threw a throwing dagger into the throat of one of the Jack-4s, hoping to cut a crucial wire. As he reached for another dagger, the massive robot charged at him, only to be knocked aside by Hiyamitsu. With her trim frame, she was able to bound into the air and, using her own mechanized leg, dealt a powerful blow to the Jack-4, knocking it's head off with a clean kick.

Hiyamitsu laughed at the brawn of her new leg, finding glee in her mastery of such cold, immense power. She looked over at Kawamitsu, grinning behind her oni mask.

"Thanks, Kitsu," said Kawamitsu, turning to face the other Jack robots. There were about seven or eight left now, all being dealt with by a handful of Manji ninja each.

"Look out!" suddenly shouted Yuromitsu, his aged voice rising over the sounds of clashing metal and robotic clamor. There were two Jack-4s charging at Kawamitsu and his deadly companion, but before they could get in range, Yuromitsu sprung out in front of them.

"Yuromitsu, be careful!" shouted Hiyamitsu, worried for the blind, elderly Manji member.

Yuromitsu wasted no time in drawing two swords, preparing for the unseen onslaught. However, as each footstep of the machines grew louder and closer, he held the two swords so that their points touched, and as they did, bright currents of electricity jumped up and ran down the blades. The crack of electric current was like the hissing and teeth-barring of two tigers, ready to fight.

The two Jack robots, upon surrounding the old man, both raised their enormous fists as if to crush the man where he stood. Yuromitsu miraculously dodged both strikes almost as if he were able to see them, and with each missed attack of the Jacks, Yuromitsu slashed at them with the swords, causing electric currents to lap at the metal hulls of the mechanized soldiers. With each strike, the electricity shot through the limbs of the robots, leading to momentary lapses in the Jacks' ability to move properly. One of the Jacks, however, was able to graze the side of Yuromitsu, causing him to stagger and hold his side, dropping one of the swords.

With the connection broke, the swords returned to their regular selves, and Yuromitsu cursed under his breath as he slashed in the direction of the attack. The sword, although without it's electric charge, was still as sharp as ever. It cut through the metal robot like a hot knife through butter. As the remaining Jack robot charged towards Yuromitsu, he planted a foot in the dirt and swung his sword in the gritty fashion of a baseball player. With the contact of the sharp blade against the metal of the robot, it fell backwards, a large gash exposing it's severed wires.

"Phew!" exclaimed Yuromitsu, relieved as he leaned forward, dropping the sword and placing his hands on his knees for support, "No one told me they were so tough! Good thing those swords I designed worked, for the most part."

"Yuromitsu!" called out Kunimitsu, as she ran towards her old friend and mentor, "Are you okay?"

"Ah, Kunimitsu," he said with a smile behind his oni mask, reaching out and placing his hand on one of Kunimitsu's strong shoulders, "Do me a favor, young lady, and help this old man back inside."

"I think we've slain all of them," Yoshimitsu announced to the crowd of Manji ninja, about thirty fighters total, "Everyone put out these fires and see to the other people here in the Complex. Check for injuries. Harper!"

"Yes Master!" replied the only blonde-haired Manji ninja in the Clan, having once been a refugee from Russia. He ran up to Yoshimitsu and quickly bowed, still breathing heavily from the fighting. Even though he dressed virtually the same as the other Manji ninja, his blonde hair and light skin tone made him stick out.

"Come with me," commanded Yoshimitsu, hurriedly making his way towards the Main Building, "We're going to find out just what is going on."

Once inside, Yoshimitsu went straight towards the wing which housed the holding cells. He wasn't surprised to see that the small room that had once contained Jean-Luc de Garonne now had a gaping hole in it's front wall, probably blasted away by one of those infernal Jack robots.

"Master!" warned Harper, turning to face the other side of the hallway upon seeing someone walk towards them. Yoshimitsu spun around to see none other than the assassin himself, standing there holding his prized rifle.

"Took me a while to find where you had stashed my baby here," said de Garonne, patting his rifle like it was a lapdog. Yoshimitsu was impressed with de Garonne's resiliency, knowing he must have had to search many places before finding it in Yoshimitsu's own room.

Harper, sword bared, stood in front of Yoshimitsu, ready to fight if this strange man tried anything. Yoshimitsu took a step in front of Harper, lowering the boy's sword with a calm hand.

"… You let us capture you, didn't you?" began Yoshimitsu, with a serious voice. He was starting to realize that de Garonne, although he seemed to be nothing more than an amateur, had definitely been holding a few things back.

"Ha! You don't seem that surprised," de Garonne chuckled a little as he rested the rifle on his shoulder, "I told you, Yoshimitsu. You have no idea what's really going on. I didn't really plan on being captured, but don't think for a minute that you've seen the extent of my skills."

"Well then! How about you fill me in on the details?"

"That small-time crime lord Aikuchi didn't hire me. I mean, he thinks he did, but there's someone else I'm working for. Someone much bigger," stated de Garonne, busily trying to open the butt of his rifle, "You've been meddling in a lot of other people's affairs, Yoshimitsu. Powerful people's affairs. Who do you think the Black Pheasants were working for? Do you really think you could bring them down without their own boss getting pissed?" He finally opened the end of the rifle butt, pulling out a small blinking device. "Ah, here it is. They bugged me." He dropped the small tracking device onto the wooden floor and squashed it under his boot, crushing the thing like a cockroach.

Yoshimitsu, oddly sensing no threat from the assassin, ordered Harper to inform the others that he and de Garonne were going to have a little chat.

* * *

"I don't believe this," grumbled Kawamitsu, resting his head in his hands.

Yoshimitsu continued to look towards de Garonne as the three men, along with Hiyamitsu and Kunimitsu, sat at the long table in the conference room. The high polished table, along with the intricately painted walls, looked far too serene to house such an intense conversation.

"Believe it," replied de Garonne, taking a sip of tea, "The Mishima Zaibatsu hired me to finally get rid of Yoshimitsu here, and I almost did, back at that airport."

Yoshimitsu nodded, remembering that time- just last year- when he was looking for Kunimitsu. He had be struck by a mysterious dart from an unknown sniper, and if it wasn't for Kunimitsu, he probably would have died.

"But after that, I had no idea if you had survived or not, and I didn't know where to begin looking for you," continued de Garonne, looking up from the small cup of green tea to the armored Manji Clan leader sitting across the table from him, "So when I found out that Aikuchi was looking for your long-time rival, Kunimitsu, I knew you couldn't be too far behind. So I took up the job to help out, knowing that if I just followed her, I'd eventually get to you."

Kunimitsu scoffed, crossing her arms incredulously, "Asshole."

De Garonne shrugged, "It doesn't matter now; everything's changed. Those Jack-4 robots were from G Corporation, the long-time rivals of the Mishima Zaibatsu's own research group. They had their own agenda, it seems, and I don't really know what it is. But now that the Mishima Zaibatsu doesn't have any control of this situation and G Corporation is involved, I really don't see the point in my being a part of any of this. I was sent here for a simple job, but now it's all blown out of proportion."

"And why should we believe you?" demanded Kawamitsu, not willing to be so quick to trust the man who had been trying to kill his best friend and master this whole time.

"The Mishima Zaibatsu was paying me to kill a single man, not fight the over-powered creations of their rival corporation!" replied de Garonne, "Now my only concern is figuring out just how in the hell G Corporation got that bug in my rifle."

"It looks like you've pissed a lot of people off, Master," Hiyamitsu bolding exclaimed with a smirk, as if she was excited by the idea of having so many enemies.

"It's seems I have," agreed Yoshimitsu, rubbing the back of his neck, "Kawamitsu, get in touch with Iiguru and Taka and tell them to have the helicopter ready by tomorrow morning. We're going into the city to find out just who is behind this attack by G Corporation. And one more thing, de Garonne."

"Yeah?" asked de Garonne, "What?"

"Who ordered you to kill me?"

De Garonne paused for a moment, not quite sure how everyone would take the answer. The focus in the room was so intense that no one noticed Xiaoyu open the sliding door quietly, trying to take a peek inside.

"I thought you of all people would know who the man who hired me to kill you is. You, Yoshimitsu, leader of the Manji Clan. Just think about it. The man who you've stolen from, who's business dealings you've continuously ruined. He's the most powerful man on earth who'd benefit the most from your death: …Heihachi Mishima."

Yoshimitsu's heart skipped a beat, everyone else's eyes widened, and across the room came a loud gasp from Xiaoyu as she could feel the renewed hope of her greatest goal burst back into life, into the realm of possibility.

* * *

Author's Note: Again, thank you for your patience in waiting for this latest installment. I'm glad I was finally able to finish it. Now that I've been able to work out the specifics of the plot in my mind, writing the rest of this story will be that much easier. Stay tuned, and remember, any reviews are greatly appreciated!


	10. Chapter Ten: Don't Mention It

Author's Note: Finally, finished! Sorry that took so long. A lot has happened in my personal life, but I tried to keep working on my writing. I hope you like it! ^_^

Chapter Ten: Don't Mention It

Xiaoyu could barely sit still in her seat as she nervously looked up at the unsympathetic clock hanging above the whiteboard. Each second seemed to pass unnaturally slow. Everyone else in the classroom was focused on reading the assigned lessons in their textbooks, but Xiaoyu could think of nothing other than what the Manji Clan could be doing right now- and what kind of trouble they could possibly be in. What she would give to be with them! She knew they could all take care of themselves with no problem, but going straight into the nearest G Corporation research stronghold wasn't something to take lightly.

Xiaoyu, looked down at her book, finding absolutely nothing of interest amongst its contents. The teacher of the class, a kind woman in her early thirties with a small frame and inquisitive eyes, noticed Xiaoyu's uneasiness and, as soon as the bell rang, she stood and asked Xiaoyu to stay behind for a moment.

'Oh great,' thought Xiaoyu, 'Another teacher wants to scold me…' Xiaoyu waited until all the other students left and then slowly walked to the front of the classroom, expecting yet another lecture on the importance of dedication and hard work.

"Yes, Mrs. Kyouyu?" asked Xiaoyu, anxiously awaiting her next reprimand.

"Miss Ling," began Mrs. Kyouyu, organizing a few papers at her desk with no apparent goal, "I've noticed that you've been very distracted today. Is everything alright?"

'No, everything is _not_ alright!' thought Xiaoyu, but aloud she merely said, "Yes, ma'am. Everything's fine. I've just been having an off day." Her inner thought's continued to play out in her mind, 'More like an off week! I was almost killed, I was chased around by syndicate thugs, massive robots, and foreign assassins… and now Yoshimitsu- where to even begin with him? Yoshimitsu went off to the G Corporation! What if something bad happens?' She finished with, "I'm sure I'll feel better tomorrow."

"If it's something you're embarrassed to talk about, that's okay. You don't have to be embarrassed around me," offered Mrs. Kyouyu, with a smile, "I hope it's nothing serious. Are you in harm in any way?"

"No, it's nothing like that," answered Xiaoyu, shaking her head a little, "I'm just… worried…" Xiaoyu paused for a moment, thinking that maybe there was a way she could express her feelings of concern without revealing any of the details, "I'm worried about… someone. A friend of mine. I care a lot about this person- my friend, I mean. I…" Xiaoyu was finding this more difficult than she had anticipated.

"Would you like to sit down?" suggested the kindly teacher, pulling a seat forward for Xiaoyu. Mrs. Kyouyu then took a seat in her own desk chair. She honestly felt that, in this hustle-and-bustle society where people were brought up to conceal their emotions, it was very important to help her students cope with their problems in anyway she could.

"Thank you," said Xiaoyu, sitting down. She was nervously playing with her hands, not wanting to look her teacher in the eyes. "It's just that, Mrs. Kyouyu, I sometimes think this person- my friend- might be trying to tackle too much, you know? They're always running around, not being careful at all, and… And it really bugs me that he doesn't even seem to appreciate how much I worry!"

"He?" asked Mrs. Kyouyu, feeling that she had reached a breakthrough, "Ah! So, you're having guy trouble, aren't you?" She smiled, remembering her own days in school when she and her friends would spend all that time and energy worrying over guys who sometimes didn't even give them a second look. Youth is wasted on the young.

Xiaoyu, now completely embarrassed at the idea that her problems could be misconstrued as simple "guy trouble," stood quickly and said, "Ummm, thank you for your time, Mrs. Kyouyu." She bowed quickly. "I'm sorry for being distracted in class. I promise it won't happen again." She then exited the classroom as quickly as possible, leaving her teacher to sit there shaking her head with soft laughter.

* * *

"Y-You're not authorized to be here!" opposed one of the G Corporation's researchers as he tried to block Yoshimitsu's way.

"Stand aside!" shouted Kawamitsu, pushing the feeble scientist out of the way with ease.

Considering that the G Corporation had attacked the Manji Clan mountain base so openly, Yoshimitsu deemed it more than appropriate to give them a little visit in the broad daylight. Yoshimitsu, along with Kawamitsu and a handful of other loyal clan members, continued on his way towards the main research floor of the expansive G Corporation facility. Kunimitsu followed the group at a distance, finding it strange to be out with the Manji Clan once more. It was almost as if she had been transported back to the old days when she was a legitimate clan member.

In the next room, blocked off by a reinforced steel sliding door, security guards for the G Corporation facility waited patiently, having been warned that a very angry team of Manji Clan ninja were headed their way.

"Yes sir," confirmed the captain of the squad, "Yoshimitsu is just outside Zone B. Understood." He motioned for his men to take their positions and to hold their fire until given the command.

Kawamitsu, using an access card he had muscled from one of the researchers, quickly swiped the card and stood aside, allowing Yoshimitsu to enter the next room. He was greeted by the muzzles of almost a dozen automatic weapons pointed right at him.

"Yoshimitsu of the Manji Clan, you are trespassing on private property! Leave immediately or you will be fired upon!" warned the captain, expertly concealing his nervousness at the intimidating sight of the cyborg ninja standing before him.

Yoshimitsu stood there silently as the rest of his comrades entered the room. Kawamitsu stepped forward, sword drawn, and Kunimitsu took a place near the door, carefully brandishing her cold dagger.

"Oh, cut the bullshit! You know exactly why we're here! Now, where's the filth who ordered that attack?" demanded Kawamitsu, mentally taking note of every enemy target in the room.

'What the hell?' thought one of the security guards, lowering his weapon only slightly, 'If they wanted to talk to one of the higher ups, why did they come down here to the working floor?'

"Give it up, Yoshimitsu!" began the captain, "You're outnumbered and outgunned. Surrender now and no one will get hurt." On both sides, he felt like adding.

Instead of drawing his sword in defiance, Yoshimitsu simply raised his hands up, surrendering. Two of the security guards wasted no time in grabbing his hands and wrenching them behind his back.

"Ha! I must say, I'm surprised you gave up so easily," stated the captain, suddenly surging with confidence, "I guess the rumors of your fierceness aren't true after all." Then, in a moment of insolence, the captain reached out and lifted the skeletal mask away from Yoshimitsu's face… to reveal the face of a very intense-looking young woman.

"Surprise!" shouted Hiyamitsu, gleefully, as she brought her powerful robotic leg up rapidly, kicking one of her captors in the face. He immediately let go, staggering back in pain from his jaw being fractured from the kunoichi's high kick. Hiyamitsu then threw the other security guard up over her shoulder, sending him slamming down onto the hard floor.

"Y-You're not Yoshimitsu!" shouted the captain, stepping back as he brought up his radio, shouting into it, "It's a decoy! It's a decoy! Yoshimitsu isn't here!" He then commanded his men to open fire.

The Manji ninja immediately dispersed throughout the large working floor, darting in between computer terminals and using upturned lab tables for cover. Among the clamor of gunfire and ricocheting bullets, Kawamitsu sheathed his sword and drew his first few throwing knives, calculating the individual throws in his mind before letting the small steel blades fly.

* * *

Yoshimitsu, as silently and deadly as ever, quickly made his way to the main development office. There, he knew, would be the persons responsible for making the decision to attack the Manji Clan mountain base, his home. There, he'd get his answers. But first, he had to actually find the place.

With his new suit- which Dr. Bosconovich had introduced to him just moments before their excursion to the G Corporation- Yoshimitsu could pass through the hallways even more stealthily than before. Using an advanced means of cloaking, Yoshimitsu could slip by the security cameras completely undetected. If they _could_ see him, the guards would surely be frightened by his new appearance. This new suit sported a much more otherworldly look, with vibrant yellows and reds. Yoshimitsu's skeletal mask was replaced with a similar variant, which rested behind a visor of bulletproof glass. His helmet was like a bizarre headdress, with vicious tendrils coiling from the base of the helmet down his back, where thin streaks of light pulsated like a heartbeat. The suit was a fusion of traditional Japanese armor and new world technology, and it fit Yoshimitsu perfectly.

'Down this hall, and then…' thought Yoshimitsu, mentally going over the floor plan of the sprawling research facility. He knew that the room he needed to get to was on the 11th floor, but how to get up there in a timely manner without the wings of his beetle suit? Yoshimitsu smirked under his mask as he got an idea. Racing to the nearest elevator, he charged towards the metal doors and, with the solidity of his robotic arm, he crushed the doors in slightly, hoping the thunderous crash of metal could be heard by the people he was now after- as if the metallic cacophony would be his warning to them.

"That's right; I'm coming for you," muttered Yoshimitsu, as he began to pull the doors apart with all the strength he could muster. Once they were opened enough for Yoshimitsu to squeeze his slim figure through, he looked up and down the cavernous elevator shaft. Upon peering down, he saw that the elevator car itself wasn't too far down. He leaped forward, latching onto the steel hoist ropes, which he used to slink down to the car as aptly as an acrobat.

Once on the elevator car, he began searching around in hopes of finding a cabinet of some sort, where the elevator's computer would be housed. He knew that if he could find that, he'd be able to program it to take him up to the 11th floor.

"Huh…" began Yoshimitsu, unable to spot any sort of cabinet, "This elevator must have a separate machine room somewhere, then. Well, in that case…" He then turned his attention to the taut steel hoist cables and grasped one of the cables, using the vice grip of is robotic arm to secure himself tightly to it. Then, after examining the hoist components carefully so to not pick the wrong one, Yoshimitsu raised his deadly sword and slashed at one of the steel cables, slicing through it with ease.

With that, Yoshimitsu was violently propelled upwards, which in turn made him tighten his grip on the cable even more. He could feel the exhilarating lurch of his innards as he was flung higher up the elevator shaft, watching carefully for his stop.

Yoshimitsu counted each painted number on the interior of the elevator shaft as he flew by it. '8... 9... 10... There!' He then leapt out to the bottom edge of the doorway, catching it with his trusty robotic hand. He pulled himself up quickly and soon began working on opening the door, thankful for the time Hiyamitsu and the others were buying him with their little charade.

Once the doors were opened, Yoshimitsu quietly made his way down the hallway, each step silent and calculated.

'The main office should be just around the corner,' thought Yoshimitsu, who had grown a little too confident with his new invisibility. As he turned the corner, expecting the hallway to be just as empty as the last, Yoshimitsu was stopped dead in his tracks by the sight of a hulking figure standing in the middle of the hallway.

"Damn!" cursed Yoshimitsu, staring at the imposing Jack-5 robot as it picked him up on it's thermal scanners. Yoshimitsu, his cloaking now useless, reappeared and quickly assumed a defensive stance, waiting for the massive automaton to make its first move.

The Jack robot, assessing Yoshimitsu as the target, immediately opened fire. Yoshimitsu cursed again as he quickly dodged back around the corner. The firing then ceased, but he knew too well that the robot was making its way towards him, each heavy step echoing in the empty hallway. Yoshimitsu, gripping the hilt of his sword tightly, waited patiently for the robot to get closer, and just as Yoshimitsu peered back around the corner, he was surprised by a rather large fist hitting him across the head. The punch from the Jack-5 was enough to send Yoshimitsu sprawling across the polished hallway floor, hitting his head again as he crashed into the far wall.

From his angle on the floor, Yoshimitsu could see the harsh phosphorescent lighting of the hallway cast shadows on the tall robots emotionless face, and he was momentarily paralyzed by uncertainty and a ringing in his head, leftover from the menacing machine's powerful strike.

The robot then lifted its giant fists over its head, ready to bring them down with enough force to crush Yoshimitsu where he lay. However, just as the titanic robot began swinging its arms down, something suddenly shattered through one of the glass windows and hit the robot straight in the head, causing an explosive dispersal of shrapnel and wires. The robot, it's head being destroyed, keeled over and Jean-Luc Roi Mikel de Garonne grinned silently to himself, tallying the headshot in his mind.

With that, Yoshimitsu quickly got to his feet and looked out the window, zooming his sight back and forth from building to building. Then, he saw them. Mikel de Garonne had taken a post in the Manji Clan's multipurpose helicopter- using his prized rifle to keep Yoshimitsu covered. Yoshimitsu, holding his wrist radio to his mouth, called in to de Garonne, whom he could see answer his own radio from his sniper's roost.

"Nice shot," commented the Manji leader, genuinely relieved, "How's your arm holding up?"

"Hurts like a bitch!" replied the Basque assassin, shouting over the sound of the chopping helicopter blades. He was ready to show Yoshimitsu what he was _really_ made of. "They have quite a few of those things patrolling the hallways, looking for you no doubt. Stick to the windows and I'll keep you covered."

"This guy's a great shot, Master," piped in Iiguru, knowing better than to put 100% of his trust in the assassin just yet, "Taka and I will keep an eye on you."

At that, Yoshimitsu continued down the hallway, his quick feet pattering quietly as he held his sword to the side, ready to cut down anything he might happen to come across.

* * *

"Well, that's all of 'em," declared Kawamitsu as he reached down to retrieve the last of his now bloody throwing knives. He quickly wiped the blood on the dagger onto the sleeve of one of the dead guards. Most were killed, but a few had managed to escape through the door on the other side of the room. "Are you okay, Umimitsu?" he asked, looking over to a female ninja who was sitting on the floor, leaning against one of the upturned tables.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she answered, gritting her teeth as she removed her black cloth mask and used it to dress the bullet hole in her right arm, "It didn't hit the bone, but damn, it hurts!"

"Is everyone else okay?" he asked, looking around the entire room. Everyone seemed to be fine, which was a bit of a miracle considering how many guns were going off only moments ago.

"Where do you think those other guards ran off to?" asked Morimitsu, ready to follow them.

"Oh, let them run. I'm sure they're just cowering somewhere, licking their wounds. Hiyamitsu," he turned to the ferocious female ninja, still wearing their leader's bizarre beetle suit, "Can you get Yoshimitsu on the radio and let him know we're done here?" He tossed it to her as he continued to check up on everyone else.

"Sure!" replied Hiyamitsu, enthusiastically, catching the radio in one hand and bringing it up to her smiling lips, "Hey, Yoshimitsu, this is Hiyamitsu. We're all done here. We'll regroup at the exit point and wait for you."

"Great job," replied Yoshimitsu on the other end, "So, they fell for it, huh?"

"Sure did!" she grinned, idly feeling the ribbed breast plate of the armor with her free hand. Then, she lowered her voice to almost a whisper and said, "I was wondering when I'd finally be able to get in your pants, Yoshimitsu."

Yoshimitsu looked down at his wrist radio incredulously, and he could feel a flush of warmth surface on his concealed cheeks, a physical indicator of his embarrassment.

"U-Uhm. Well, just… Just make sure everyone's okay and I'll meet you all there."

Hiyamitsu laughed, reveling in her ability to confound him. Kawamitsu glanced at her closely, not liking that joke in the slightest, and he tried his best to avoid the taste of bitterness in his mouth. Just when everyone had gathered together to make their escape, Kawamitsu took one last glance around the now destroyed room and paused.

"Wait… Where's Kunimitsu?"

* * *

"Useless garbage!" exclaimed Kunimitsu, frustrated at her lack of findings. She'd been combing through the contents of several hard drives for quite some time now, and she had yet to find anything of notable value.

She sat back in the desk chair, frustrated, and she crossed her arms with contempt. Standing, she decided to keep looking around the research lab, mindful to step over the unconscious researchers as they laid scattered across the lab.

'They're lucky I was so merciful and didn't just kill them all,' she thought, returning to the row of filing cabinets that she had broken open with a screwdriver she had found in a tool closet. Kunimitsu searched through the cabinets like they were bargain bins, discarding anything that didn't pique her interest. She had left the fire fight on the first floor as soon as she could, deciding it would be much more lucrative to find a separate research lab and look around in hopes of finding anything that she'd be able to sell- illegally, of course- for a high price. Although, it was starting to look as if her search would be in vain.

At the last minute, however, she stumbled upon a rather normal-looking flash drive that was marked differently than the others. Kunimitsu wasted no time in jumping onto a computer and loading up the contents of the flash drive.

She could hardly believe her eyes as the computer program opened up to reveal dozens of files detailing top-of-the-line weapons prototypes.

"That's more like it," she said aloud, flashing a greedy grin as she hungrily looked over the contents. Soon, however, she paused on a particular file that had caught her eye. A small gasp escaped her lips, feeling a twinge of shock course through her, and she knew then and there that she had stumbled upon something big.

* * *

Yoshimitsu stood there, examining the door that blocked him from the men responsible for the attack on his home. The door to the main development office was nearly impenetrable, from what he could tell, reinforced with steel and various security locks. If he tried to get in by force, there was no way he would reach the people inside in time before they somehow escaped. Hell, for all he knew, they were already aware of his presence right outside their office and were getting away.

Yoshimitsu then took a seat on the floor, facing the ominous doorway with his legs crossed solemnly as he held his sword vertically before him. He was silent for a long time, closing his eyes in deep concentration. Yoshimitsu, having perfected some of the highest techniques from the Manji Clan's advanced fighting style, could feel the overwhelming power ripple in his body as he focused all of his life force into performing this one special ability. He had done this numerous times before, but he wanted to make sure he'd get it right this time. All in a single instant, Yoshimitsu seemed to spin around like a whirlwind before disappearing altogether.

Magically, he then appeared on the other side of the door, surprised to find nothing but a large, empty office. There were computer terminals everywhere, but not a single employee operating them. Sword in hand, Yoshimitsu began to quietly make his way deeper into the expansive room. Where was everyone? Had they all been evacuated?

A faint sound then reached Yoshimitsu's ears and he quickly turned to face a door that slid open to reveal a single researcher. He was a man whose considerable stature seemed to contrast with his white lab coat and sharp glasses. Slightly surprised, Yoshimitsu could sense no feelings of nervousness or fear from him.

"Ah, Yoshimitsu. My name is Eigo Yokoshima, and I'm the head researcher for this division of the G Corporation," began Eigo as he walked towards the Manji leader, "What brings you here on such short notice?"

"You know why I'm here, Yokoshima," Yoshimitsu replied, fixing his gaze on the researcher. He went on to add, "You had no right to bring such destruction to a place of peace."

"Oh! You mean the attack on your quaint mountain base? Why, Yoshimitsu. You of all people should know that if you want something, you must take it," Eigo Yokoshima replied coolly. The lab coat he wore was the only thing modest about him, being a man who was preoccupied with wealth and advancement.

"Having a wider heart is more important than having a larger house," replied Yoshimitsu, quoting what he felt was a rather appropriate Buddhist saying. He went on to include a bit of sarcasm with, "Besides, if there is indeed something in my possession that you so intensely desire, you merely had to ask for it. I'm certain we could have worked out a deal. I'm always in the mood to make some extra cash."

Eigo's eyebrows furrowed at Yoshimitsu's cheekiness, and his frustration could be heard in his next reply.

"Only a fool would think that you'd be willing to put a price on what we were after."

"Oh?" asked Yoshimitsu, with exaggerated interest, "And what might that have been?"

Eigo was silent for a few moments before replying.

"You cyborgs are such fascinating things," he began, placing his hands in his pockets casually, "I bet you're tracking my every move right now, with your integrated HUD. I bet it's telling you everything about yourself and your environment. Your heartbeat, my body heat, the temperature in the room… It takes a person with an immense magnitude of intellect to be able to create such powerful machines from mere human husks."

Yoshimitsu's interest in what this man was saying was piqued at hearing such an implicative answer.

"Quite. But what does that have to do with any of this?"

"As I'm sure you know, we at the G Corporation are always mindful of the technological breakthroughs of our rival companies. After all, it's all about being ahead of everyone else in this line of work." Eigo paused a moment and turned around to pace the other way, taking care not to turn his back to the seated Manji leader.

Yoshimitsu, feigning relaxation, crossed his arms and replied listlessly with, "I'm listening."

Eigo's eyebrows furrowed ever slightly more, and his frustration in dealing with such an ostentatious creature as Yoshimitsu was beginning to try his nerves.

"We've been receiving countless reports of the advancements that the Mishima Zaibatsu has been making as of late, and my superiors have charged me with trying to… acquire some of this technology," Eigo continued, making sure to keep a close eye on the dangerous man who stood before him.

"So, you intend to steal technology from the Mishima Zaibatsu. That's all well and good, but I am still unable to see how the Manji Clan is involved in any of this. Still, even a fool believes he has solid reasons for his actions, however illogical they may be. So surely, someone of your intellect should have a very good reason for doing what you have done."

Spurred on by Yoshimitsu's smugness, Eigo removed all thoughts of diplomacy between the G Corp and this insolent group of thieves out of his mind. There would be no negotiations, no compromises. Yoshimitsu would give him everything or die.

"I have my reasons, alright. However, I regret to say that you might not be around long enough to hear them." Eigo then quickly reached underneath the nearest desk.

Yoshimitsu heard the small click of the emergency button and immediately leaped away from where he had been standing. His superior reflexes allowed him to just barely dodge the charging Jack-5 that came pummeling through the entrance. Using the commotion as a distraction, Eigo rushed to escape through a secondary door, closing it behind him quickly. Yoshimitsu was left alone in the large, cluttered room with a rather imposing Jack 5 robot.

He wasted no time at all and hastily leaped towards the mechanical brute, planting a powerful kick square in its chest. The Jack, staggering backwards a bit, retaliated with a swing of one of its massive arms. Yoshimitsu, quicker on his feet than the robotic brute he was now facing, dodged with a sidestep. Seeing his opportunity, he knelt down and sliced at the Jack's feet in a sweeping motion, cutting its legs off just below the knee. As the robot's heavy upper half started to fall backwards, Yoshimitsu lifted his sword up and was just about to run the Jack through when he suddenly paused. The metal carcass hit the floor with a loud thud, and Yoshimitsu saw the Jack's face split open to reveal a small countdown display in the center. 4... 3... 2... 1.

"Shit!" exclaimed de Garonne at witnessing a side of the building suddenly burst open in an explosion. Using his rifle scope, he quickly began scanning the building up and down, looking for any sign of Yoshimitsu amongst the charred rubble and smoke.

* * *

Xiaoyu was surprised to find the place almost completely deserted. She had tried to get to the G Corporation building as soon as class was over, so she had thought that there would at least be a few people still here. Had Yoshimitsu and the Manji Clan already come and gone?

Determined to find out, Xiaoyu quickly ran past the vacant security desk and entered into the closest elevator. She figured starting at the top and working her way down would be the best bet and she fidgeted anxiously as the elevator doors closed, wishing it would move faster. Just as she was reaching the upper floors of the building, Xiaoyu was startled by what sounded like a large explosion. The elevator shook slightly and the lights flickered, causing her to gasp and let out a small shriek. She frantically pressed down on the button to open the doors and scrambled out of the elevator as soon as she could.

'What on Earth was that?' Xiaoyu thought to herself, deciding that the stairwell would be a safer way to go. Just as she reached for the handle to the stairwell door, however, she was startled again by two figures suddenly appearing out of thin air and practically landing on top of her.

* * *

4... 3...

Yoshimitsu, realizing the gravity of his current situation, immediately bolted towards the door. He could feel his heart pumping violently in his chest, the blood pounding in his ears as every muscle fiber in his body worked its hardest to try to get him to safety. Safety, however, seemed too far out of reach, and he wondered if this would be the end of him.

Then, out of no where: a savior.

2...

Kunimitsu, having just arrived on the scene, charged through the destroyed doorway and into the room. After wrapping her arms around Yoshimitsu, she used all of her strength and focus to teleport the both of them out of the room, hoping to arrive somewhere, anywhere, away from the explosion.

The two disappeared in a cloud of smoke mere milliseconds before the room was engulfed in explosive flames and shrapnel. When they reappeared, they were a few floors below the explosion and only a few feet above the unsuspecting Xiaoyu.

"Aaah!" screamed Xiaoyu, startled from the sudden appearance of the two Manji Ninja, who landed right on top of her. She groaned in pain as she pushed the two off of her, genuinely shocked that she hadn't been crushed to death.

"Fuck," groaned Kunimitsu, sitting up as she rubbed her back. Yoshimitsu clumsily scrambled to his feet, still reeling from the shock.

"Xi-Xiaoyu! What are you doing here?" he placed a hand on the wall to support himself. He could feel his whole body shaking from adrenaline.

Xiaoyu opened her mouth to respond but was interrupted by a booming sound from above.

"Save it for later!" began Kunimitsu, rising to her feet, "The room above is on fire! This place is going to start falling apart and soon. We have to get out of here." She reached down and pulled the small Chinese fighter to her feet, "Thanks for catching us, girl."

"Yeah, no problem," replied Xiaoyu, rubbing her neck as the three began running down the hallway.

"There's another stairwell over here, away from the fire," stated Yoshimitsu, bringing his wrist radio up to his mouth, "Kawamitsu! Do you read? Get everybody out of here! Have Youkai meet me on the roof!"

Kawamitsu, having been waiting with the rest of the group at their predetermined rendezvous point in the adjacent alleyway, felt a rush of relief at hearing Yoshimitsu's voice over the radio.

"Master, you're alright! Thank the heavens. I thought that explosion might have destroyed you. Okay, I'll let Iiguru and Taka know. Be careful!"

"We're going to the roof?" asked Xiaoyu, incredulously. She was doing her best to keep up with their quick running pace, but she was starting to feel a little winded. The idea of running up flight after flight of stairs did not sound fun right now.

"We're closer to the roof than we are to the ground floor. Hurry!" Yoshimitsu replied tersely, taking Xiaoyu's hand in his as he picked up his pace. Xiaoyu squeezed his hand tightly as she could feel him pull her forward, and she hoped her lean legs could keep up with his.

The trio continued on, running up each flight of stairs as quickly as they could. Soon, however, the stairwell began to fill with smoke and the creaking, groaning sound of the building shuttering from the structural damage rang throughout.

With all of the computer equipment, it didn't surprise Kunimitsu that this building didn't implement a water-based fire extinguishing system. And apparently the airtight method was failing to contain and smother the fire. It was quickly spreading from floor to floor, giving them little time left.

Upon reaching the top, Yoshimitsu summoned the strength to kick the steel door down off of its hinges, and the three fighters rushed out into the open air of the rooftop.

"What do we do now?" asked Xiaoyu, looking around for any sign of the Manji Clan's helicopter.

"There it is!" Kunimitsu pointed out as she spotted the helicopter, Youkai, making it's way towards them. Yoshimitsu could see Mikel de Garonne leaning out of the side hatch of the helicopter as it came swooping towards them. And not a second too soon.

"C'mon baby," muttered Iiguru, coaxing the helicopter down onto the rooftop.

Xiaoyu covered her face in an attempt to shield her eyes from the dust and debris that was flung up from the rotor wash, and she was thankful for Yoshimitsu's grasp on her as he guided them to the helicopter. Once they were all inside, Youkai took off into the air once more, quickly leaving the burning building behind them. Kunimitsu looked down at the roof of the building to see another explosion burst out of the door to the stairwell, mostly likely caused by a ruptured gas line. That was close.

"Well, there's the authorities," observed Taka, looking back at the many police cars and fire trucks that were beginning to accumulate around the building, "Do you think they see us?"

"I'm sure they do," answered Iiguru, preferring to keep his attention on the many gauges and displays in front of him, "But there's not much they can do about it now."

Back in the cargo area of the helicopter, Yoshimitsu sat amongst his clansmen and friends, thankful to have made it out alive.

"Kunimitsu," he began, looking over at her as she tried to ignore his gaze, "You saved my life back there. Thank you."

The purple-clad kunoichi merely shrugged, her lips curving in a slight smile.

"And you, de Garonne," continued Yoshimitsu, turning his attention to the assassin, "I want to thank you. I know you didn't have to get involved with any of this, so I appreciate your assistance."

Everyone there, particularly Kawamitsu and Hiyamitsu, then turned there attention to Mikel de Garonne, who remained silent. He seemed to be more interested in the knife in his hands than what Yoshimitsu was saying. Finally, he replied with a simple, "Don't mention it."

Xiaoyu wrapped her arms around her knees, bringing them close to her chest as she closed her eyes and leaned against the fuselage of the helicopter, amazed at how a perfectly normal day could end on such an extraordinary note.

"So, Mr. Manji Leader Yoshimitsu," began de Garonne, his thick accent penetrating the quiet murmurs of the Manji ninja surrounding him, "Did you find the explanation you were looking for?"

The turbulence of flight caused Yoshimitsu to pause a moment before replying with, "Not exactly. The head researcher, Eigo Yokoshima… He got away. I am still oblivious to the exact reason why they attacked us, but I am sure that it has something to do with the Mishima Zaibatsu. They were after some sort of technology."

Kunimitsu's lips pursed in hesitation, remembering what she had found amongst the many files she had looked through. Deciding that it would be best to bring it up to Yoshimitsu once they were alone, she remained silent. She would wait.

* * *

Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed the tenth chapter! As always, any reviews are welcome.


	11. Chapter Eleven: I Want In

Author's Note: I'm glad I was finally able to finish the eleventh chapter. Thanks for sticking around. ^_^ I also want to send out a very special thanks to all the great people who've reviewed my fanfic thus far and to those who might review it in the future. It's you guys and gals who keep me going! ^_~

Chapter Eleven: I Want In

"_Jean-Luc! I look at you and all I can think of is how much of a disgrace you are to me! I've spent almost my entire life working hard to provide everything I can for you and your mother! And now you drop this on me? How could you even think of staying here in this nowhere town? What, did your silly little girlfriend try to convince you of this?"_

"_Don't call her that! Itsaso is my best friend: the only friend I've had since Mom died!"_

"_I've spent all this time and energy to train you, to prepare you! Our family has been in this line of work for generations! It's what you were born to do!"_

"_Father, I told you before! I don't want to have to carry your rifle for the rest of my life!"_

He opened his eyes to see his hands pressed up against the tile wall of the shower, warm water pouring down from the showerhead and filling the tiny space with steam. His thoughts drifted back to the present, and he once again pushed his memories of the past to the very darkest reaches of his mind.

"What am I doing here?" Mikel de Garonne had to ask himself, his deep voice echoing through the small shower room, one of many on the Manji Clan's mountain compound. He stood there, clear-headed and confused at the same time, warm water running down his back. He ran his dexterous fingers through his dark hair, deciding then that he was done. Best to not waste the water of his humble hosts.

He dried himself off and dressed quickly, knowing that he had to move fast. There wasn't much time left, and he didn't want to wear out his welcome before completing his final goal.

"Itsaso… Hold on."

* * *

"And so, I believe it will be best for us to continue our work as usual. Let us hope that the worst is behind us, but remain ready for any surprises. Understood?" asked Yoshimitsu, concluding the emergency meeting that he had called into action upon returning to the Manji Clan mountain stronghold.

"Yes Master!" sounded his close followers, among which were Kawamitsu, Hiyamitsu, Morimitsu, and others. Kunimitsu had taken a silent place near the back of the room, far from the low table where everyone else was seated. She was content to lean against the wall, her arms crossed in solitude.

As everyone began to make their way out of the rather stuffy meeting room, Kunimitsu rose and hung back a bit, still debating on whether or not it was a good time to bring up what she had found on that flash drive. Eventually, Yoshimitsu was the only one left in the room with her. He stood to his feet, noticing her apprehension. For a moment, the long-time rivals regarded each other with a sense of seriousness, their newly rebuilt alliance still leaving an awkward aura hanging in any space they found themselves in.

"Do you need something?" asked Yoshimitsu, the detailed engravings of his suit of armor pulsating with a reddened glow. He couldn't quite describe why, but he still felt a sense of tension around Kunimitsu. His hand, endowed with meticulous muscle memory, was constantly aware of exactly where his sword was and how quickly he would have to unsheathe the ancient blade if this dangerous woman were ever to make a threatening move. He sincerely wanted to feel silly for such paranoia at this point, but his instincts could never forget his memories of the battles between the two of them.

"No," answered Kunimitsu, leaning back against the wall to give him the impression that she was relaxed, "it's just that… I have something you need to see. I don't think it's any reason to be alarmed…" Liar, she thought to herself. Oh well; it can't be helped now, can it? "… but it's definitely something you'd be wise to take into consid-"

Just at that moment, they were interrupted by the sliding door opening quickly to reveal a perpetually perky and curious Xiaoyu.

"Are you done with the meeting yet, Yoshi?" she asked, smiling. Soon, however, her smile faded upon seeing Kunimitsu and Yoshimitsu standing there, together and alone. Had she barged into the middle of something?

A light pink blush bloomed on Xiaoyu's cheeks as she bowed hurriedly, "O-Oh! Sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt anything."

"Oh, don't you worry your little head," replied Kunimitsu, her voice caked with a cheery forgiveness but sprinkled with a patronizing tone. She then turned her masked gaze to Yoshimitsu, "I was just leaving." With that, she sauntered past Xiaoyu, a slight smirk on her face at the very thought of how annoyed Yoshimitsu must have been.

'We'll talk later,' silently thought Yoshimitsu, determined, 'Count on it, Kunimitsu.' It was then that he addressed Xiaoyu, who seemed delightfully oblivious to what just transpired- or what didn't, more like it.

"Yes, Xiaoyu? Is there something I could do for you?" Yoshimitsu held back a sigh as he placed a hand on one of the lacquered plates that protected his thighs and hips. His uneasiness with Kunimitsu had left him with a lingering feeling of restlessness.

"Oh, don't sound so miserable!" Xiaoyu responded, full of optimism, "Since this whole mess with the G Corporation seems to be resolved, at least temporarily, I figured you could use a little break from all of this stressful stuff!"

"Oh? How so?" Yoshimitsu felt like he should at least humor her. The young Chinese fighter _did_ take a risk in going to the G Corporation building to see if he was alright, after all. He tried not to think too much on the extent of her concern as he made his way out of the meeting room and down the quiet hallway.

Xiaoyu was hot on his heels, eager to offer up her idea.

"Let's go downtown! Think about it. It'll be so much fun! We could eat a whole bunch of street food and go to the arcades!" She could barely contain herself, and the excitement welled up inside, forcing her hands to come up to the large grin that was beaming on her face.

"What?" Yoshimitsu's puzzled response ended with a deep chuckle, the melodious nuances of his mechanical voice filling the hallway with a reverberating hum. "You want to go downtown? Now?"

"Well, maybe not now," replied Xiaoyu thoughtfully, mindful to keep in step with her extraordinary friend as the two continued down the hallway and out into the main lobby, "But sometime soon would be nice. What, do you not like arcades?"

"No, I love them," Yoshimitsu stated admittedly, reminiscent of the fun he used to have in those vibrant palaces of noise and light, "It's just that I still have so much to do, and…" He paused his steps just as they reached the large wooden front doors of the Main Building. He sighed, placing a hand on the door, knowing that he wanted nothing less than to disappoint her.

"And?" Xiaoyu asked, hoping she'd finally be able have some real fun.

"… Alright, alright," finally answered Yoshimitsu, opening the door with a firm push. "Tomorrow night, but that's it for a long while. Some of us have to work hard, you know," he added, grinning at the ecstatic look on her face.

"Yes!" Xiaoyu cheered, following Yoshimitsu out into the open afternoon air, "I'll meet you there, then! In Shinjuku!"

"As you wish," conceded Yoshimitsu, continuing down the wide stairs, "Wait here and Morimitsu will take you home now. Try to stay out of trouble." Without looking back, he waved at her casually, oddly exultant in his defeat.

Xiaoyu smiled to herself as she took a seat on the lowest step, content to watch the refugees and Manji ninja that surrounded her with their daily work. It was then that Hiyamitsu, having overheard the last bit of their conversation, approached Xiaoyu from her place in the crowd.

Xiaoyu noticed the female ninja's plain black apparel and steel gauntlets, immediately recognizing her as the woman who was almost always at Yoshimitsu's side. She stood to greet the Manji ninja, curious as to why she was coming up her.

"Umm… Hello," said Xiaoyu, almost nervously. All she could see of the ninja's face were her piercing eyes behind that intimidating oni mask. Hiyamitsu hesitated for a brief second before summoning her resolve.

"Yoshimitsu… He's a killer, you know. A trained killer," Hiyamitsu began, a indication of annoyance on her voice. Xiaoyu grew a bit alarmed by this sudden statement, but Hiyamitsu continued, "Sure, you're a fighter. You've fought in the King of Iron First Tournament more than once. I get that. But when those highly publicized matches are over, what do you do? You go back to your school and your apartment and live your peaceful little life. But Yoshimitsu, he fights for blood. He's cut down demons and the corrupted filth that have destroyed innocent people's lives. You may think you understand him, and at least on some level you just might, but you two come from completely different worlds. Don't forget this."

Having said her piece, Hiyamitsu turned and made her way back to her work before Xiaoyu could let out one syllable. She didn't know what exactly made her want to say all of those things to Ling Xiaoyu, but she felt an odd sense of relief. Was it contempt for the outsider? Jealousy? Whatever it was, as petty as it may have been, Hiyamitsu didn't care at this point. She had gotten it off her chest, and hopefully the bitterness she felt would lift soon.

Xiaoyu stood there, a bit speechless. She felt like retaliating with some sort of defense, but all she could think to do was try to contemplate what would make this other woman say such things to her. Xiaoyu watched Hiyamitsu slip back into the crowd, heading towards some sort of covered medical booth. What was that woman thinking now?

Just then, Xiaoyu saw the crowd part as a horseman made his way towards her. The rider, another Manji ninja, looked down at her and bowed his head. Although his face was covered with a black scarf, Xiaoyu could see a smile in the wrinkles near his eyes, and it cheered her up to see such a friendly visage.

"Hello there, Miss Ling. I'm here to give you a ride back to the city." He leaned over slightly, holding out a hand for Xiaoyu to take.

"Morimitsu, is it?" asked Xiaoyu. She took his hand and let him help her up to sit behind him, "Thanks a lot."

As he kicked the chestnut mare into a trot, Morimitsu looked back slightly, having noticed the rather sullen look on the young woman's face.

"Is everything alright?" he asked, holding the reins carefully in his gloved hands, "You're not afraid of horses, are you?"

"Oh, no, it's not that," answered Xiaoyu, smiling briefly before looking back in the direction of Hiyamitsu, "Umm… That woman, over there…"

"Hiyamitsu? What about her?" he asked, looking over to see Hiyamitsu help load medical supplies onto a wooden pallet.

"I don't think she likes me. Do you know why she would have a reason to think badly of me?" Xiaoyu asked, letting her drive to find an explanation for Hiyamitsu's animosity towards her outweigh the sense of immaturity she felt at having let the female ninja's bitter words affect her so much.

"Oh, she's just that way," assured Morimitsu, "I'm sure she's just been worried lately, what with all the fighting. This kind of life can get a bit stressful at times." With that, he clicked his tongue against his teeth and the strong horses legs propelled them forward into a faster gallop.

"I see," replied Xiaoyu. She held on tight as they began traveling towards the rough forest path that lead towards the city, "You're all like one big family, huh? I bet it's hard to think about losing anyone in one of those fights."

"You bet," agreed Morimitsu, "She's crazy about Yoshimitsu, like all of us. She'd be torn up if anything were to happen to him." Morimitsu thought about it more and let out a chuckle. "But I can't even begin to think about how crazy she'd get if anything were to happen to Kawamitsu. Those two are a really tight pair, you know."

Xiaoyu nodded, feeling marginally comforted by the revelation of Hiyamitsu's concern for those surrounding her. It reminded her of her own concern for Jin Kazama, and that was something that she could definitely relate to.

* * *

Mikel went over everything in his mind, knowing that this would be his final step. There really was no going back. He gathered his few possessions, rifle included, and laid them out on the small cot he'd been given to sleep on. His hosts hadn't moved him out of his cell, but the door was no longer locked and his living conditions were considerably more comfortable. He could leave whenever he wanted.

His back was rigid against the cold metal chair he sat on as he gave one last look over his belongings. The bright florescence of the single light above his head cast a strange glow on the blackness of his rifle. He took the rifle up in his hands, it's cold smoothness contrasting with his warm, course hands.

"… I have to do this." Mikel could hear the apprehension in his own voice, as if he were trying to convince himself of a lie. But he knew that it wasn't a lie. This was just the way things were.

Suddenly, a soft chime sprung from his mobile phone, it's mellifluous peal sounding more like an explosive outburst in the quietness of his cement cell. He quickly picked up the cell phone and brought it up to his ear before answering tersely with, "De Garonne."

"Ah, so you're alive," replied Aikuchi, the mob boss having doubted the call would be answered at all, "I thought I had made a mistake by investing in you. Did you find her?"

"Kunimitsu?"

'That's right,' Mikel thought. He was suppose to be pretending to hunt down Kunimitsu, to help make her pay for her deceit. Aikuchi… What a fool. Did he really think his measly problems were something worth worry about when there were powerful juggernauts like Heihachi Mishima controlling people's lives like a puppeteer?

"No," continued de Garonne, "But I've made remarkable progress. In fact, I'm here in the Manji Clan's mountain stronghold as we speak."

"What?" asked Aikuchi, sitting up in his large desk chair, "How the hell are you there? Don't tell me you've been captured."

"In a sense. They think I was after their leader, Yoshimitsu." Another lie, but a seemingly convincing one. Mikel thought back to his conversation with the Manji leader. He was surprised they had believed the idea that Heihachi Mishima himself had actually approached him with a job of finally ridding the Zaibatsu of the philanthropic pest. If only it were that simple…

"Well, if you could eliminate Yoshimitsu as well, that would certainly make a lot of people happy," Aikuchi added nonchalantly.

"It doesn't really matter now," Mikel continued to pack his things into his rifle case, holding the phone up against his ear with his shoulder, "I've convinced them that I no longer want to get involved in G Corporation affairs." At the mention of G Corps, de Garonne could hear Aikuchi's trepidation through the phone in his silence. "Don't worry, I've left no traces. Those corporate power-grubbers don't know I was involved, so they won't be tracing me back to you."

"They better not," replied Aikuchi, a hint of threat in his voice, "The last thing I need is to have another contractor bring trouble to my doorstep. So, what's your plan now, De Garonne the Sniper?"

"I'm going to stick around a bit. Wait for Kunimitsu to show up. She still has ties with the Manji Clan, no doubt. Yoshimitsu is looking for her as well, but I don't think he'll be making any rash decisions. Especially with Xiaoyu around…"

"Xiaoyu? Ah, yes, the school girl who's been seen with Yoshimitsu. My men had a brief run in with that bitch Kunimitsu and her former leader. They said that they saw a third person with them, apparently this Xiaoyu girl. I had a few of my people trail her to a school, the Mishima Polytechnical Institute- the same school my nephew goes to. Is she someone I need to worry about?"

"Certainly not," answered Mikel, almost a little too hurriedly. The last thing he wanted was an innocent person, especially a young woman, having to be dragged into this, "You don't need to worry about her at all. In fact, I think she could be a benefit to us. She has a particular talent in… distracting Yoshimitsu. It'll keep him out of our hair."

"… I see. Very well, then. Keep me informed on what happens. And don't fail me, de Garonne." With that, Aikuchi hung up, turning in his chair to look out of the window at the city below.

'I'm no fool,' he thought to himself as he mused over the conversation, "That girl Xiaoyu is going to lead me straight to Yoshimitsu. And wherever that bastard is, Kunimitsu will surely be close by.'

* * *

The next day, Yoshimitsu found himself back into a surprisingly normal routine. He rose before the sun, and he couldn't help but delight in the refreshing sensation of the cool morning air filling his lungs. He then spent a good deal of time in a deep meditation before consuming a meager breakfast of rice and pickled vegetables. Even with the meal being as paltry as it was, he felt like a glutton when compared to the starving population of the world, but it only gave him more resolve. After that, Yoshimitsu then took great care in donning his elaborate suit of armor. In his mind, each layer, every piece was like a commandment to his life. Hard work, compassion, diligence, generosity, determination, inner tranquility… It all fit into place.

After his regular morning schedule, Yoshimitsu decided that it would be best to give Dr. Bosconovich a visit in his lab. The two long-time friends had much to discuss in regards to the new additions to the orbital base and what the Manji Clan would do next. With that in mind, Yoshimitsu finished his morning preparations and quickly made his way outside.

"Good morning, Master!" greeted Kawamitsu upon seeing his leader emerge from the Main Building and make his way towards the horse stables, "You slept well, I hope." Kawamitsu quickly picked up his ever-present clipboard from it's spot on a nearby table and caught up to Yoshimitsu.

"Good morning, Hiro. What news do you have for me?"

"We're all up to date on vaccinations, which is a plus considering that the summer months are approaching. Our food inventory is steadily decreasing, but that's no surprise. Water is good. Clothing, good. Sanitation is good…" Kawamitsu shuffled through the pages of the clipboard in search of notable information, taking care to keep up with Yoshimitsu's quick pace, "Ah, yes. Iiguru and Taka keep chewing my ear off about getting more fuel for Youkai. That last trip to the G Corps really drained her. Plus, you'll be pleased to know that we're expecting a new shipment of various items to the airport tomorrow. Standard things like packaged food, blankets, needles… That should hold us for a little while at least."

"That is good news," replied Yoshimitsu, stopping just short of the path that split off towards the stables, "Kawamitsu, have Harper meet me in the training dojo later today. I'm going to teach him a bit of sword work before heading out to the city."

"Yes, Master," Hiroyuki bowed quickly and took off back towards the Main Building, a smile behind the black scarf covering his nose and mouth. He thought about all the rare free time he'd have now that his usual training session with Harper would be taken up by their leader.

After a brisk walk along a forest path, Yoshimitsu found himself at the Manji Clan's horse stables. He then entered through the wide, steadfast doorway, it's smooth wooden beams having endured storm and sun alike. The smell and warmth of the horses filled his nostrils, and it was all suddenly very comforting.

"Gessekai," called out Yoshimitsu, with a whistle, "O, lord of the moon! How have you been keeping?"

Gessekai, his fair coat glowing underneath the beams of sun that leaked through the windows of the old stable, shook his head from side to side and exhaled hard through his velvety muzzle. He stamped a foot restlessly, growing excited upon seeing his most favorite human approach.

"I know, I've been neglectful," Yoshimitsu responded guiltily, reaching a hand out to pat Gessekai on his strong neck, "And I don't even have a suitable offering for your forgiveness." He pushed opened the heavy stall door, allowing the white horse to step out and stretch his legs a bit.

In no time at all, Yoshimitsu had Gessekai brushed to a brilliant white and geared up with simple tack. Once outside the stables, Yoshimitsu lifted himself up onto the steed's strong back, enjoying the sensation of eager exhilaration that washed over him. He could almost feel the raw power in each step the horse took, and it filled him with vigor.

A click of his tongue against the roof of his mouth, and the two were off. For now, Yoshimitsu could leave his worries behind him.

* * *

"I never had to write this much in high school," Xiaoyu muttered under her breath as she sat slouched back in the computer chair. She looked around at the other students, all busily writing their own research papers and essays in the crowded computer lab. Xiaoyu, looking back at her own screen, tried to break free of her procrastination.

Her attempt at getting to work, however, was defeated by a sudden memory of the last time she was in this very room. She smiled to herself as she remembered the night she had snuck into the school with Yoshimitsu. It had been so exciting and fun for her, and the thought of their antics only increased her anticipation for tonight's arcade adventures.

"Xiao," whispered Miharu as she poked her friend's arm with a pencil, "Look."

Xiaoyu returned to reality and looked to where her friend was pointing. There, she saw their fellow classmate Chiteki on the other side of the computer lab. He was waving at them quite enthusiastically.

Xiaoyu waved back, her head lowered slightly as Miharu let out a giggle.

"He's so thrilled to go to the amusement park with you next week! I'm surprised his excitement hasn't killed him," Miharu joked as she leaned towards Xiaoyu, "I bet he's going to ask you to be his girlfriend!"

"Oh shut up," Xiaoyu retorted with a smirk, laughing a little at the idea, "To be honest, I actually kind of forgot that I said I'd go." She took another look over at Chiteki, who was hard at work typing away. "Although," she continued, "I guess I could get him to help me with this research paper if I go. It's due at the end of next week anyway, so the timing isn't too bad."

"Well look at you!" Miharu replied, her keen eyes narrowing with mock accusation, "Ling Xiaoyu, using her feminine wiles to get out of honest work."

"Oh come on," said Xiaoyu. She looked back at her computer screen and decided it was best to call it quits for today, "Besides, there are women out there who are much better at that kind of stuff than me."

* * *

Kunimitsu twirled her dagger in her hand as she bit her smiling lips ever so slightly.

"So, you're finally taking your leave, eh?" she asked the Basque assassin while he finished packing what few possessions he had.

"I think I've worn out my welcome, so to speak," replied Mikel de Garonne, casually. He didn't know why this woman was in his cell, talking to him, but he was certain that it wasn't for any sincere reason. The way she stood, leaning in the doorway as she coyly played with that menacing dagger of hers… No, he didn't trust her one bit.

"You interest me," continued Kunimitsu, "You tried to kill the leader of the Manji Clan and then managed to get yourself captured. For one reason or another, Yoshimitsu left you unharmed, and now you're going to waltz right on out of here without a fuss."

"That's the gist of it, save for the 'unharmed' part," coldly replied Mikel, raising his still-recovering arm up and wincing in pain. Would she leave him alone now?

Kunimitsu smirked as she moved across the room, coming within arm's reach of the aloof assassin. She leaned against the cold cement wall, watching him closely as he fastened the last latches of his rifle case.

"You say you were hired by Mishima to kill Yoshimitsu, but now that there are other parties involved- particularly G Corps- you figure it's best to cut your losses. Am I getting this all correct so far?"

"That sums it up so far, yes. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a flight to catch." Mikel was glad to finally get out of there, away from this shifty woman, but it seemed his relief came all too soon.

As he was making his way to the door, Kunimitsu's arm reached out with explosive power, hurling her dagger at an alarming speed. It whizzed past Mikel, just narrowly missing his head before embedding itself into the cement wall. The sniper paused and took a moment to regard the dagger in the wall. He noticed small, powdery bits of cement beginning to crumble around it before turning his gaze back to Kunimitsu. He raised an eyebrow.

"Liar," Kunimitsu stated bluntly, her voice like black iron, "I don't believe a word of it." She took a few steps towards him, cautiously waiting for his next move.

Mikel de Garonne pulled the dagger from the wall, noticing his dark reflection on the gleaming surface of the blade. He could feel the tension in the air, and he could see the muscles in Kunimitsu's lithe body grow taut as she watched him like a feral fox ready to strike. There was something else in the air, he noticed. This woman… Was she afraid?

He tossed the dagger back to her aimlessly. He would not play her game. He'd refuse her a reason to attack him.

Kunimitsu caught the dagger almost as swiftly as she had thrown it, and Mikel could see her frustration as she grit her teeth.

"Damn you," she muttered.

Kunimitsu then suddenly rushed at him, pushing him up against the hard wall. Her right arm was pressed up against his throat, and her hand shook with restrained rage as she held the edge of the dagger up against his cheek.

"What are you really after?" she demanded, pressing the blade slightly harder against his skin, "… Tell me!"

Mikel's eyes narrowed at Kunimitsu's last outburst. He had no time for this. As if the female ninja had awakened a slumbering tiger, Mikel suddenly grabbed her arm with one hand and took up her leg with another. With a shout, he threw her back, sending her flying through the air.

Kunimitsu managed to do a backflip in mid-flight, her back arching as her hands reached for the floor. Using the momentum and her powerful arms, she pushed herself up and landed on her feet with ease, dagger at the ready. She took a step back, a bit surprised at Mikel's sudden burst of aggression. She had underestimated him, it seemed.

"I don't know why you are trying to interfere. What reason could you possibly have to harass me now?" asked Mikel, reaching for his rifle case, "From what I gather, you were once trying to kill Yoshimitsu as well. Do you really think you have the right to defend him?"

"I know you're hiding something, de Garonne. The Manji Clan may be blind to what you're really after, but you haven't been able to put that shroud over my eyes." Kunimitsu crossed her arms, content with words alone, "In fact, I'd go so far as to venture to say that what you're looking for is somewhere close. Somewhere around here, even."

At this, Mikel's expression grew gravely sober. Despite his best efforts, this woman had defeated him. She had him hooked.

"What do you know about it?" he asked, his voice lowered to a solemn growl.

"I found this," began Kunimitsu, holding the stolen flash drive up into the cold starkness of the florescent lighting above, "It contains some rather interesting data. It's all really quite complex. In fact, it's downright difficult to discern if the information contained within is pertaining to a man… or a machine. Now, doesn't that sound familiar?"

Mikel de Garonne set his rifle case down slowly, unable to take his eyes off the flash drive and the manipulative woman who held it.

"However," Kunimitsu continued, "This all may sound like the data files on a cyborg, but it certainly isn't Yoshimitsu." She paused for a moment, a slight hint of reminiscence in her voice, "I'd know for sure if it was Yoshimitsu."

"…What do you want?" asked Mikel, bringing Kunimitsu's attention to his frustration, "You apparently already know everything. So, let's get to the point already. What could I possibly do for you in exchange for that data?"

"Simple." With a flick of her wrist, the flash drive was hidden once more as Kunimitsu brought her hand back towards her chest, "I want in."

* * *

"Oh, do you want more food?" asked Xiaoyu cheerfully, with laughter in her voice, "You have quite an appetite today!"

The giant panda staring back at her let out what sounded like a high-pitched bark of sorts before reaching for more of the bamboo that Xiaoyu held under her arms.

"You're so cute, Panda, that you can have as much as you want!" exclaimed Xiaoyu, letting Panda wrap her paw around a few of the stalks. The giant panda then sat down in the middle of the large enclosure, content to munch on more bamboo while admiring the serene surroundings.

Xiaoyu loved her job as a panda caretaker, and she felt lucky to have this beautiful place to escape to when her life outside in the hustle and bustle of the city became just a little too chaotic.

"It's not that I don't mind it," suddenly stated Xiaoyu, letting her thoughts be heard out loud. She sat down next to Panda, glad that her animal friend was such a good listener. "School can be a little boring sometimes," Xiaoyu continued, "But I love that I always have something fun to do." Her thoughts then went to her plans of going to the arcade later that evening.

Just then, Xiaoyu's train of thought was interrupted by the upbeat, chirpy ring tone of her cell. Dropping the bamboo, she reached into her book bag and brought the cell phone up to her ear eagerly.

"Hello! This is Ling Xiaoyu! … Oh, Chiteki!" Xiaoyu made a face at Panda, who had hungrily snatched up all the bamboo, "What's up?"

"Hi, Xiaoyu. Umm… I was wondering if… Well, I know we aren't going to the amusement park until, like, next week, but I was wondering, if you're not too busy that is, if you'd like to go, I dunno, see a movie tonight or something? If you're not busy, that is! I mean, I know you have a lot going on… which isn't a bad thing! It's really cool! Not that you're busy a lot, but that you're active, I guess." Chiteki let out a nervous laugh, wishing that he didn't have to make this phone call.

Xiaoyu was silent for a moment, wincing at the awkwardness. "Uh, I'd like to, really, but I already have plans for tonight. Sorry."

"Oh! Um, that's okay. I just thought I'd ask. So, uhh… Where are you going? Someplace fun?"

"I'm going on a date, actually," replied Xiaoyu, thinking one little lie wouldn't hurt, "We're going to the arcade! You know, the big one in Shinjuku. It's going to be so much fun!"

"Ah, cool. Well, I gotta go. Bye!" With a cold click, the phone call was ended and Chiteki sighed deeply.

"Oh, don't worry, Chiteki," began his uncle, Aikuchi, turning in his desk chair.

"You promise she won't be hurt, right?" Chiteki asked worriedly, setting the phone down on his uncle's glossy wooden desk. He could already feel the horrid sense of guilt creep over him like a wave.

"I promise," answered Aikuchi, waving his hand as if he was being pestered. He then turned to one of his subordinates who had been listening to the phone conversation. "Find out exactly where that arcade is and send a little welcoming party. Wherever this Xiaoyu girl is going, I'm sure that self-righteous bastard Yoshimitsu will be there. If we can get to him, we can get to that bitch, Kunimitsu. I'll get my money one way or another. Now go!"

* * *

Xiaoyu hummed along to the song coming from her pink earphones as she stepped down from the bus. She couldn't help but smile as she began the quick walk from the station to the nearby arcade. The street was full of people, and their voices floated through the evening air mixed in with the noisy bustle of the city. Xiaoyu's eyes lit up upon nearing the arcade, its many stories emitting bright lights like a beacon..

"Hello Xiao."

"Eeeee!" Xiaoyu jumped and turned to see Yoshimitsu standing beside her suddenly. "Yoshimitsu! You scared me!" She let out a laugh, patting her heart.

"Terribly sorry," replied Yoshimitsu, "I thought it'd be best to hide until you arrived. People are already staring…"

Xiaoyu looked around at the people who began to crowd around her and her odd companion. Her gaze then went back to Yoshimitsu. He was wearing his silver-colored demon mask with sharp, red eyes and black mesh inside its fanged mouth. His long, bright red hair reached his lower back, and his armor shone with the reflections of the light around them.

"I wouldn't worry too much about it," reassured Xiaoyu, smiling, "You look like another one of the people around here who dress up in costumes and stuff!" As she said that, a few onlookers took some snapshots on their cell phones and moved on. "Now c'mon! Let's go!"

Xiaoyu took Yoshimitsu's hand in hers and made her way towards the large arcade building. Yoshimitsu, staggering a little from Xiaoyu pulling him around, began to grumble to himself until the two made their way into the bustling arcade.

A wave of lights and sounds overtook their senses as the sliding doors closed behind them. Yoshimitsu's cybernetic sight seemed to want to look at everything at once, going in and out of focus quickly. There were so many fun-looking games, and he smiled under his mask as he could feel the long-missed feeling of exciting entertainment well up inside him.

"Which one should we try first?" Xiaoyu asked as she beamed with enthusiasm. "How about-?"

"That one," Yoshimitsu interrupted, quickly making his way towards a fighting game, "Let's see your skills!"

The two wasted no time feeding the machine a few coins and starting a match. Xiaoyu was determined not to let her companion defeat her, and her gusto only strengthened Yoshimitsu's resolve. The computerized announcer beckoned them to "Fight!" and the battle began. It was over in second, with Yoshimitsu as the victor.

"Wow!" gasped Xiaoyu, her widened gaze moving to the triumphant cyborg, "Yoshimitsu, that was ridiculous! I mean, I could hardly get in a hit!"

"Haha!" beamed Yoshimitsu, crossing his arms, "Skilled as you are in fighting, you're no match for my gaming prowess, it seems. Would you like another go?"

"Well-"

"Or, let's try that!" Yoshimitsu cut Xiaoyu's response off short as he pointed to a larger machine not too far from where the two friends stood.

Xiaoyu smirked when she saw that he was motioning to a dancing game, certain that she could beat him in this if not anything else. Once they both had taken their places on the dance platform, Yoshimitsu inserted the coins and began browsing through the song selections.

"Hmm… They're all so interesting. Would you happen to have a preference?" he asked, continuing to flip through the songs as he glanced over at Xiaoyu. She was beaming, ready to give it her all, and he couldn't help but feel revitalized by the energy she was giving off.

"Ooo, that one!" responded Xiaoyu, upon hearing a bright pop song. "This is one of my favorites! You better watch out, Yoshimitsu, because I have insane dancing skills!"

Yoshimitsu chuckled at her lighthearted threat and, soon, the song began and the arrows started to flow down the vibrant display. Matching their footsteps to the arrows with perfect timing, Yoshimitsu and Xiaoyu found themselves immersed in the music. As the song progressed, the beat grew faster and the moves became more difficult. Being skilled martial artists, both were more than capable of keeping up. However, while Yoshimitsu's moves were direct and calculated, Xiaoyu's upbeat style was unmatched. A crowd had gathered, cheering them on, and it only added to the frenzy of the moment.

Yoshimitsu, feeling his heartbeat quicken with each passing measurement in the song, glanced over at Xiaoyu for a second. In that brief moment, he could see the focus in her eyes, and her joy was clear from the beaming grin on her face. He could see the glow of the video game screen reflect off of her glistening skin, and time seemed to slow to a crawl. He noticed how her hair flowed with every movement, and when she became aware of him looking over at her, she instinctually turned to meet the cold gaze of his demon mask, knowing that he must be smiling underneath.

Xiaoyu turned her focus back to the screen, and it was in that moment that Yoshimitsu saw it: a small red dot on Xiaoyu's forehead. Everything seemed to come crashing back to reality as Yoshimitsu leaped towards Xiaoyu, throwing both of them to the ground. The bullet whizzed past them and went right through the screen of a nearby racing game, horrifying all of the arcade goers who saw the glass shatter.

"Damn it," the female sniper cursed under her breath. "I missed, go in," she spoke into her radio, hoping the team Aikuchi prepared was up for the task.

From his place shielding Xiaoyu, Yoshimitsu looked back over his shoulder out through the large windows of the arcade. He searched frantically for any signs of a gunman, but he couldn't see much due to the crowd of panicked civilians. Xiaoyu, with her back pressed down on the arcade floor by her protective companion, was still a bit shocked by the suddenness of the attack. Her breathing was heavy, her heart racing, and she could hear her own pulse pounding through her ears. She noticed how calm and steady Yoshimitsu seemed, and she could feel her adrenaline-laden fingers grasping at his armor firmly, relieved that he had acted so quickly.

Once most of the people had escaped, Yoshimitsu could see a group of dangerous-looking men quickly approach the arcade. He rose to a low crouch, bringing Xiaoyu up with him to a place of cover behind a nearby gaming machine.

"Are you alright?" he asked, taking her face in his hands. She seemed worried at first, but then he caught a glimmer of determination in her eyes.

"Let's teach them a lesson," Xiaoyu muttered to him, annoyed at having their evening of fun ruined. Yoshimitsu secretly smirked at the young fighter's moxy. He could hear the sliding door of the arcade open and the footsteps of the hitmen grow closer and closer, and he knew he needed to act fast.

Just then, one of the thugs made his way around the machine and looked down to find Xiaoyu huddled behind it, alone. Looking very much like a helpless girl, the man reached down to grab her right as Yoshimitsu suddenly reappeared above him. The Manji ninja planted a kick in the back of the thug's neck, sending him crashing down to the hard floor.

The other hitmen, startled, rushed towards Yoshimitsu. Xiaoyu leaped to her feet just in time to block a punch before unleashing a barrage of kicks to her nearest opponent. The man blocked most of them, but she managed to land a clean kick to his head, leaving him reeling with pain.

Yoshimitsu quickly grabbed Xiaoyu and pulled her out of the way as another brute slashed at her with a knife. Using that momentum, while still holding onto Yoshimitsu's arm, Xiaoyu swung around and kicked another attacker in the stomach as Yoshimitsu blocked the knife-wielder's attack with his more formidable sword.

Xiaoyu let go of Yoshimitsu and charged towards her next opponent, a tall man sporting brass knuckles. Knowing she was no match for his height, she used her agility quickly scale a nearby machine. Once high enough, she pounced towards her attacker and reached out with a fist, aiming for a punch to the face. He surprised her with his own quickness, however, and grabbed her out of the air. Xiaoyu let out a startled shout before being thrown towards Yoshimitsu.

Having just knocked out his own opponent with a strike to the temple, Yoshimitsu turned in time to catch Xiaoyu, sending them both colliding into the side of a nearby arcade machine.

"Sorry!" Xiaoyu shouted before rushing back to the tall assailant, leaving Yoshimitsu to face the rest of the attackers.

The first young man struck out at Yoshimitsu with a baton, which Yoshimitsu dodged with ease. Crouching down, Yoshimitsu kicked at the second assailants legs, sending him crumpling to the ground with a shout. Rising, Yoshimitsu grabbed the other man's shoulders and planted a quick knee bash into his chest, knocking the wind out of him. To make sure he stayed down, Yoshimitsu kicked the second man in the head as he tried to get up, knocking him out cold.

Meanwhile, Xiaoyu had managed to dodge all of her opponent's attacks before taking his enormous fist in her small hands and, using his own weight against him, she then sent him lurching forward. Crashing into one of the nearby gaming machines, the attacker groaned before collapsing to the floor. Just when Xiaoyu thought it was over, more people suddenly ran into the arcade.

"Freeze!" shouted a young cop, brandishing his handgun as he took a stance near the door. His fellow police officers took their places next to him, some of them down on one knee for better coverage.

Xiaoyu quickly raised her hands, shrugging, while Yoshimitsu remained still.

The young officer, upon seeing Yoshimitsu's gleaming sword, reached for his radio, shouting, "I've got two suspects here! One is armed. He's… He's Yoshimitsu! Send back-up!"

"I know you just called it in, but there's really no need for that," suddenly said an older man who had just entered the arcade. He seemed different that the other police officers, and Xiaoyu had seen enough cop movies to know that this guy was a detective. She was sure of it, from his long, black coat to the cigarette in his mouth.

"Yoshimitsu, long time no see," the older man said, smirking, "To what do we owe the pleasure?"

"I am merely enjoying all of the pleasantries Shinjuku has to offer, Detective Tantei," Yoshimitsu responded coolly, "It's been a while. Who's the new guy?"

Detective Tantei took a drag from his cigarette, blowing the smoke up in the air as he turned his gaze towards the younger cop. Tantei then looked over at Yoshimitsu's female companion. She seemed familiar, but he couldn't quite place her face.

"Don't be so hard on the kid, Yoshimitsu. He still thinks we can bring in _all_ the bad guys. And you, missy," Tantei said, narrowing his eyes at Xiaoyu, "Just what the hell are you doing running with an outlaw like this? Do your parents know you're out this late with such a strange man? Who are you?"

"Don't answer that," Yoshimitsu muttered to Xiaoyu, who was just about to reply, before turning his attention back to Detective Tantei, "Certainly you don't mean that I'm a 'bad guy,' do you? Well, if that's the case, I have no doubt that you'll do well to teach the lad how things really work around here," retorted Yoshimitsu. He motioned for Xiaoyu to come to his side, showing that he wasn't too concerned with their current predicament.

Years ago, Detective Tantei would have been infuriated by Yoshimitsu's flagrant disregard for the law, but he knew better now.

"You're one of the most wanted men in all of Japan," stated Tantei, dropping his cigarette to the floor and crushing it with the sole of his leather dress shoe, "But I know there's really no point in trying to capture you. So how about you just leave this part of town and not come back around here for a while, huh? Gimme a break."

Just as Yoshimitsu was about to reply, more law enforcement officers came charging into the arcade, armed to the teeth. Yoshimitsu caught a glimpse of the word "INTERPOL" on one of their bulletproof vests and that's all he needed to know.

"Well, I must be off, Detective. Until next time!" He quickly grabbed Xiaoyu's hand and, in an instant, the two seemed to disappear into thin air.

"After him!" shouted the chief of the INTERPOL squad, "Check the back exits!"

Detective Tantei merely sighed, shoving his hands into his coat pockets as he made his way outside.

"Be sure to bag those goons on the floor, boys," he ordered, taking this time to light another cigarette. This was going to be a lot of paperwork.

Nearby, Xiaoyu let out a shriek as they reappeared on an nearly empty floor of a neighboring parking garage.

"Eeeee! How did you do that?" She asked, patting herself all around to see if she was still in one piece.

"With lots of practice," responded Yoshimitsu. He quickly sat down, a little shaky from all the energy it took to pull off a stunt like that. They didn't end up very far from the arcade, but he figured it would at least give them some time.

He did his best to focus his energy and recover while Xiaoyu paced around a bit, still amazed at their disappearing act. Feeling slightly more calm, she took a seat next to Yoshimitsu, making sure to fold her legs like his.

"Yoshi?"

"Yes?"

"I would have won that dance-off for sure. You were distracted by my awesome moves. Admit it!" she teased, feeling that the night hadn't been completely ruined after all.

Yoshimitsu sighed, knowing Xiaoyu wouldn't give him a moment of peace even if she was sedated.

"Let's go back to base," he said, almost with a hint of reluctance in his voice, "There's no way it's safe to stay in this city, even for you." He rose to his feet, followed quickly by an excited Xiaoyu.

"You mean…?" she began, almost unable to contain her glee.

"… Yes…" He winced.

"Sleepover!"

'I swear," Yoshimitsu thought to himself, hoping Xiaoyu's cheers wouldn't get them caught, 'It's almost as if she takes pleasure in my misery…'

* * *

Author's Note: Well, I hope you enjoyed the latest chapter of "My Hero." Again, I apologize for the delay in updating. This next chapter will be the final one, so I hope I don't let any readers down. Thanks again for reading! As always, any feedback is greatly appreciated.


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